What We Choose to Become - Sanctuary
by splendidlyimperfect
Summary: Sabertooth was abusive, and the Twin Dragon Slayers try to find a new home in Fairy Tail and sort out their feelings for each other, while also fighting a horde of dragons. / A/N: This story is being rewritten - it was my first fic in the fandom and needed a lot of work. New story is called 'be my sanctuary.'
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is being rewritten! Please check out 'be my sanctuary' for the rewrite. Both 'Sanctuary' and 'Aftermath' will be rewritten into the new story.**

* * *

"Sting...Rogue...What the hell was that?" Sting winced at Jiemma's gaze and ducked his head in shame. The enormous man sat above them, eyes dark and menacing. "You two are Dragon Slayers. You shoot your mouths off about how strong you are on a regular basis, don't you?" Sting's hands trembled with the fury and embarrassment of being beaten, and the fear of being beaten again in a completely different way. "But you were disgracefully defeated, and by a fellow Dragon Slayer no less." Natsu, Sting thought. And the thought didn't bring anger, like he thought it would – only respect, and a deep kind of awe.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" Jiemma roared, and Sting and Rogue both flinched. Sting looked over to Rogue and saw the younger man, bandages covering his face and torso, shivering in fear. A dull ache bloomed in Sting's chest and he wanted so badly to comfort his friend.

"I have no words," Rogue whispered softly, and it took everything Sting had not to reach out and grab his hand. "We were completely defeated. Natsu overwhelmed us even without his lightning flames." Rogue's hands balled into trembling fists and his eyes remained fixed on a point near Jiemma's feet.

Suddenly, Jiemma was in front of the Twin Dragon Slayers, ground cracking beneath his feet. Sting could see Rogue wince, and his throat tightened.

"Are those the words of a wizard from Sabertooth? Who told you to go out there and look like a pair of pathetic fools? Who told you to fail?" Magic energy began to rumble around Jiemma, flaring pink, and he raised his fist. Both Dragon Slayers winced, unconsciously stepping backward. "You sullied the name of the strongest GUILD!" Jiemma's voice rose to a roar and his power exploded suddenly, sending Sting flying face-first onto the floor and Rogue crashing into a wall. Rogue cried out and grabbed his side, his injuries from the fight aching from the blow.

"Sting! Rogue!" Frosch and Lector ran to their respective slayers, cuddling up to them with tears in their eyes. Lector's fur was soft under Sting's hand and he pushed the Exceed behind him, seeing Rogue do the same with Frosch.

"You aren't fit to be members of Sabertooth!" Jiemma backhanded Sting as he tried to rise, then kicked Rogue in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall again. Sting could hear something crack in Rogue's body and he cried out. "Wipe it out! Remove the crest of our guild!" Sting didn't even hear Jiemma's words, he was too busy focusing on the blood that Rogue was wiping from his mouth. "My guild doesn't need weaklings! It doesn't need losers!" Rogue struggled to his feet, clutching his side, and Sting widened his eyes as Rogue moved to stand between him and Jiemma.

"Blame me, master," he said softly, his gaze still on the ground by Jiemma's feet.

"WHAT?!" Sting was sure that Jiemma's roar could be heard across all of Crocus. He reached out to grab Rogue's ankle because he HAD to stop him from doing this. He had to protect him. He had always protected him. "Sting did his best, it was me who was weak."

"Rogue-" Sting tried to interrupt but Rogue turned his head and glared at his friend. "Quiet," he hissed, and his face softened for a moment. "Let me save you for once." He moved his fingers toward Sting in their secret childhood signal and then turned back to Jiemma. "Sting learned a lot in this battle. Next time he faces Natsu he will win, and bring honor to Sabertooth. I was the one who was weak. Punish me and not him."

Jiemma laughed, and it was probably the most unpleasant sound Sting had ever heard. It was deep and low and menacing, and he grinned at Rogue.

"Fine," he said finally. "Your death will be a lesson for everyone." Rogue's eyes flew up to Jiemma's face and widened in terror as Jiemma reached out a hand and released a blast of energy at the dark-haired boy. It hit him directly in the chest and knocked him backwards, past Sting and through the crowd of Sabertooth members who were watching the scene. Rogue's body shuddered, then stilled.

"ROGUE!" The scream ripped from Sting's throat as he stumbled to his feet, reaching out for his friend, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. Jiemma grabbed his arm in an enormous hand and threw him backward, away from Rogue.

"Keep it down, Sting," he said, grinning darkly. Sting scrambled to his feet again, looking at Lector's shocked expression and Frosch's tear-stained face and Rogue's unmoving body.

"What did you do?" Sting's voice was deadly, and Jiemma actually looked surprised as he turned to face the blonde boy. "What the HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"SILENCE!" Jiemma ordered. "Bawling like a child will not be toler-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. Sting screamed and white flames burst out of the ground around him, surrounding him in blinding light. Without warning, he raised his hand against Jiemma and fired a burst of light directly at his chest. Jiemma's eyes bulged in surprise and he looked down, amazed to see a smoking, gaping hole running straight through his torso. Sting stumbled backward, energy around him disappearing, and leaned against the wall, panting, as Jiemma fell backward with a deep thud.

For a moment, nobody moved. Minerva looked slightly impressed, and stepped forward, but Sting held out a hand.

"Shut up," he said darkly. "Shut the hell up. Fuck you. FUCK ALL OF YOU!" He scoopded up Lector and Frosche in his arms and ran over to Rogue's body, dropping to the floor next to his friend. The crowd backed away from them as Sting reached over to Rogue's neck, feeling for a pulse. Rogue's face was bruised and his clothing was torn, and a thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth. "Come on," Sting whispered, trying to calm his breathing as he waited for a fluttering beneath his fingers. He suddenly exhaled in relief as he felt it – faint, but there.

"Is Rogue dead?" Frosch asked, eyes wide, as Lector held his hand.

"No, Frosch." Sting turned to the Exceed and forced himself to smile. "He's going to be okay, but we need to hurry." Then he gently lifted Rogue into his arms and headed toward the door, his dark glare daring anyone to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

BANG.

"Who the hell-" Natsu rubbed his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing slowly, peering around him. His teammates were all asleep and snoring softly, but he could have sworn he heard a -

BANG. BANG.

Natsu glanced outside where he could see the enormous steam clock – it read 3:27am. Who would be at their door at -

"NATSU!" The shout sounded familiar, and Natsu shuffled out of bed and headed for the door. "Natsu, please help." He swung the door open and was shocked to see Sting kneeling on the front steps, an unconscious Rogue in his arms. Sting had clearly been crying and when he looked up at Natsu, a look of relief crossed his face. Lector and Frosche were huddled behind him.

"Sting, what-"

"Please help him," Sting interrupted, gesturing at the unconscious boy in his arms. "He won't wake up and he won't stop bleeding." A strangled sob escaped his throat and he tried to muffle it with his sleeve.

"GRAY! GET YOUR FROZEN ASS OUT OF BED!" Natsu shouted into the sleeping area, eliciting a, "fuck off, flame-brain", and several grumbles from his other teammates. "IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" Then he knelt down next to Sting and tried to take Rogue from his arms. Sting gripped his friend tightly, and Natsu laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let me take him. You're exhausted." Sting sniffled, then nodded his head, releasing his death-grip on Rogue.

Gray appeared around the corner, dressed only in a set of boxers, and gave Sting a surprised look. Happy stumbled out of the room behind Gray, then made his way toward Frosche and Lector.

"Get Wendy," Natsu ordered, and Sting was amazed to see Gray agree without argument. Nastu lifted Rogue with ease, then motioned for Sting to follow him into the inn's sleeping quarters. Everyone was in various stages of awakening, but Natsu ignored them and headed straight for his own bed, laying Rogue down gently and pushing a pillow under his head.

"Sting!" Wendy placed a gentle hand on Sting's arm and he jumped, backing up against the wall and looking at her without recognition. Natsu frowned.

"Wendy, Rogue is hurt." He directed her toward the bed and heard her cry out in dismay. "Sting, what happened?" He turned to the blonde boy who was pressed against the wall, breathing shakily. Natsu leaned down to look into Sting's eyes, which were fixed on his friend. "Did someone attack you?"

Sting nodded, then shook his head, then growled in frustration and placed his head in his hands.

"What is going on?" Erza was out of bed now, red hair pulled back in a ponytail, Frosche in one arm and Lector in the other. Both of the Exceeds appeared to have fallen asleep.

"Sting? What happened?" Lucy approached the bed where Rogue lay, concern all over her face. Natsu looked back at Sting and could see the dragon slayer trembling in...fear? Natsu could smell it all over him – fear, anger, frustration. He turned to his friends and gave them all a serious look.

"Go," he said softly. "Get Porlyusica. And Gramps, maybe, if he's up." Erza nodded. Lucy looked like she was about to argue, but the redhead grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. Gray gave Natsu a questioning look and nodded to the door, then followed the two girls.

"Sting, come sit." The boy didn't move, and Natsu sighed. "Can I touch you?"

Sting looked up at him, surprise and disbelief on his face. Natsu was holding out a hand toward his arm but not quite touching him, waiting for an answer with a sad half-smile on his face. Sting's first instinct was to slap the hand away, but he was just so tired. He nodded meekly and Natsu took his arm and gently pulled him towards another bed. Sting collapsed onto it, letting out a deep breath. Natsu pulled himself up next to Sting, close but not quite touching, and looked over at Wendy.

"How is he?" Wendy let another wave of healing magic wash over Rogue, then turned to Natsu.

"He was very badly hurt," she replied softly. "I can't heal everything. I took most of the pain, and he's breathing better now." It was true, Rogue's breathe wasn't coming out in ragged gasps anymore, but he was still pale and bloody.

"He was t-trying to p-p-protect me." Sting burst into tears again, breathing in heaving gasps and desperately wiping his eyes. Natsu reached out a tentative hand and laid it on Sting's back, and while he tensed for a second, he allowed the touch and Natsu gently tugged Sting toward him until they were face to face.

"What happened?" He asked again, softer this time, trying to look into Sting's eyes. "Who did this to him? And you?" He realized with surprise that Sting was also injured, although not as badly as Rogue. Deep bruises were blooming on his chest and face, and Natsu was fairy certain they weren't from his fight in the arena. Sting shook his head roughly, wiping his eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"I can't," he whispered, finally making eye contact with Natsu. "I d-did s-something - I think I – I did – I thought Rogue was d-d-dead and I just -" Sting trailed off, looking over to his friend again.

"It's okay," Natsu said, then started, looking at Sting's shoulder. "What happened to your -" Sting's head whipped downward to see that his guild emblem, usually stark white, was fading slowly away. "Those are perman-" Natsu's eyes widened as he put the pieces together. "Jiemma did this, didn't he?" His words were cold and hard as he stood abruptly, clenching his fists. "That bastard did this to you, didn't he?" Flames flickered around his hands and Sting took a deep breath.

"He's dead, Natsu." Sting's voice was flat and hard, and Natsu turned to him, surprise written all over his features. "I killed him."


	3. Chapter 3

**THEN**

 _"STING!" Jiemma's voice was as loud as he was enormous, and ten-year-old Sting flinched from it, lowering his eyes and backing up against a wall. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy." Sting acquiesced and looked up slowly into the angry face of his guild master. After half an hour in combat training with Minerva, Sting was exhausted and bruised and just wanted to go to his room and rest. But apparently, Jiemma had other plans._

 _"Yes, sir," he said softly._

 _"How long have you been a member of Sabretooth?" Jiemma demanded, roughly grabbing Sting's arm and dragging him down the hallways into his office._

 _"Six months, sir," Sting replied._

 _"And how much have you improved in combat since then?" Sting lowered his gaze to the ground again, ashamed. He had been sparring with Minerva and sometimes Orga every day for that past half a year, but his powers had only improved incrementally. He spent most of his time being terrified of the two of them. Minerva was cruel, even at only thirteen years of age, constantly telling him how weak and pathetic he was._

 _"I will try harder, sir." Sting's voice was so quiet it was almost imperceptible, and he was about to look up to gauge his guild master's reaction when an enormous hand landed a blow across the side of his face, sending him flying into a bookshelf, which toppled over, spilling books across the floor._

 _"…" Jiemma's lips moved, but the ringing in Sting's ears was so deafening that he couldn't make out what the man had said. He raised a trembling hand to his face, then dropped it to protect himself when Jiemma threw a kick at his midsection. He sobbed, gasping for air and lying face down on the cold, stone floor. Jiemma grabbed him by the back of his jacket and backhanded him again, one of his rings cutting into the soft skin above Sting's right eye. Blood began to drip from it and he could taste it, hot and coppery._

 _This is different, he thought. Minerva had just spent the last thirty minutes beating him in the training area, but this felt different. His chest heaved and he hung limply in Jiemma's grasp, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping it would be over soon._

 _Eventually the ringing subsided, and he found himself on the ground, blood streaking his shirt and pants, and an aching throb pulsing around his temples._

 _"I will not tolerate weakness in this guild." Jiemma's voice was firm and emotionless. "You are a dragon slayer and I know you have that power. Improve."_

 **NOW**

"Sting, wake up." A hand on his shoulder roused him from his sleep and he looked up to see pink hair leaning over him. Natsu. Sting shrugged the hand off his shoulder and sat up slowly, wincing from the various aches and pains throughout his body. "You okay?"

"Mn." Natsu was looking at him with concern, but Sting determinedly refused to meet his eyes. He must have said something in his sleep – the nightmare was still fresh in his mind and he shook his head sharply in an attempt to remove it.

Looking around, he realized that he had fallen asleep in the bed he was sitting on last night. Or this morning. It all seemed like such a blur – grabbing Rogue and running through the city for hours until he finally found Fairy Tail. His hands and arms had been numb by the time they found Honeybone Inn, but he had refused to put Rogue down. The only thing keeping him going had been the soft puffs of air against his neck that let him know that his friend was still breathing.

Sting glanced over to the bed next to him – Rogue was still unconscious, but an older woman with bright pink hair was leaning over him. Rogue's shirt had been removed at some point, and bandages were wrapped around his chest. Bruises covered his arms and what could be seen of his torso, and his face was also swollen and discolored. And – Sting was unsurprised to see – his guild mark had also disappeared. By the time Natsu and Sting had finished talking last night, his had been entirely wiped away as well.

"Hungry?" Sting looked up at Natsu again to see that somehow the pink-haired slayer had procured an enormous plate of breakfast food. Sting was about to decline when his stomach rumbled, making him realize how hungry he truly was. He nodded without speaking and Natsu sat down next to him, setting the plate of food between them so they could both dig in.

"How is he?" Natsu asked the pink-haired woman, who made a sound of annoyance.

"He'll live," she snapped, turn turned to look sharply at Sting. He dropped his gaze to the ground, but she reached out for his chin to force him to look at her.

"Don't touch me!" Sting scrambled backward on the bed and slapped Porlyusica's hand away, feeling the tears welling up again. _Fuck_ , he thought. T _his was a terrible idea. What the hell have I gotten myself into? They're going to find out and it will just get wor – but he's gone now. He can't hurt us anymore._ The realization hit him right in the chest and he gasped, then bent over his knees and started to sob.

 _BE QUIET._ The voice in his head sneered at him. _SHUT UP. CRYBABIES AREN'T ALLOWED IN SABRETOOTH._

"Shut...up..." Sting ground out between clenched teeth. Natsu and Porlyusica glanced at each other nervously, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"S...st'g?" A quiet mumble drew all of their attention to Rogue, who had cracked open one eye and was peering at Sting. "Y...'kay?" Sting leapt from the bed and maneuvered himself around Porlyusica, then dropped to his knees beside Rogue's bed and grabbed his hand.

"Rogue," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his forehead to the other boy's. He let out a shaky breath and rested his other hand in Rogue's dark hair.

"Nn - 'm fine," Rogue pushed the words out through teeth clenched in pain. "Safe?" He slowly reached up his less injured arm and rested it on Sting's head. Sting let out a soft sob.

"We're safe," he whispered, letting his tears drip onto Rogue's face. "We're safe and he's never going to hurt you again. I promise, I promise, I promise..." his words trailed off and Natsu's eyes widened in realization.

"That...that wasn't the first time, was it?" He placed his hand gently on Sting's shoulder, who shook his head, still crying. Rogue gazed up at Natsu and gave him a sad smile, running his fingers through Sting's hair. Natsu scowled deeply and struggled not to tighten his grip on Sting's shoulder.

"He's gone now," Sting murmured as he raised his head. "He's dead, Rogue." The injured boy's face showed no surprise or regret, only relief. "And we're...safe here." It came out as almost a question as he looked sideways at Natsu. Anger, frustration, humiliation, relief, fear – a thousand emotions flickered across Sting's face. Natsu smiled and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Of course you are," he replied. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."


	4. Chapter 4

When Rogue awoke, the sun was starting to set, and Sting was face-down next to him, his face creased from the pillow and his mouth open in a soft snore. The two single beds had been shoved together to make an awkward larger bed, and Sting hadn't released Rogue's hand all day. As soon as Rogue shifted, Sting woke up, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

"How're you feeling?" He mumbled, stretching upward and wincing. Rogue could see the deep purple and black bruises along Sting's ribs, and he raised a gentle hand up to touch them. Sting froze for a moment, then gently lowered his arm and took Rogue's hand back into his own.

"I'm alright," Rogue replied, and he's surprised to find that it's true. He hurt everywhere and felt exhausted, but he'd slept better in the last few hours than he had in years. It was probably because here, he wasn't watching his door in fear, hoping that Sting didn't stumble in with a black eye or a limp because of something he did. Here, Sting was beside him, holding his hand, and while he was bruised and battered, he was safe.

"Yo! You two hungry?" They both looked up to see Natsu and Gray standing in the door, bags of takeout in their hands and grins on their faces. Rogue felt his stomach growl and nodded, then winced as Sting helped him sit up. The pink-haired woman entered the room behind the two boys, and elbowed Natsu out of the way so that she could come examine Sting and Rogue.

"You need to take it easy." Her voice was harsh but her eyes were kind as she examined Rogue again, lifting the bandages and testing his range of motion. He didn't like her touching him – Sting was the only one allowed to touch him – but he forced himself to sit still. "No running, climbing, and NO FIGHTING." She glared at Natsu as she said the last bit, and he grinned at her innocently.

When Porlyusica was done examining Rogue, Natsu handed him a steaming bowl of noodles and dumplings, and he dug in, humming appreciatively. Gray and Natsu hopped up onto another bed and sat cross-legged across from each other, sharing from a container of sushi.

"May I take a look at your injuries?" Porlyusica looked at Sting and he froze, ready to shake his head. Rogue gently reached out and touched his lower back and Sting relaxed a little.

"Do it for me," Rogue murmured, and if Natsu's hearing wasn't as exceptional as it was, he wouldn't have heard it. "I'm worried about you." Sting swallowed heavily and then nodded at Porlyusica, sinking down onto the bed again. She helped him remove his jacket, waiting patiently as he tried to cling to it. When he finally shrugged it off, he could hear Natsu and Gray's soft gasps, and he hung his head in shame.

Sting's back was covered in scars. Natsu could tell that while some of them were quite old, many were recent, and most were not from the dragon slayer battle. Dark bruises in various shades of healing decorated his upper back, shoulders and chest. Natsu felt a deep rage stirring in his stomach – with Sting's exceptional healing powers, it would take an incredible amount of force to cause that kind of damage.

Porlyusica swallowed. "Are they all from-"

"Yes." Sting cut her off without looking at her and dug his fingers into the mattress. Rogue sat up closer to his friend and placed a gentle hand on his hip as Porlyusica ran her hands over the bruises, pressing in some places and eliciting softs gasps of pain from Sting. Natsu moved to get up but Gray grabbed his hand and shook his head, then turned to the duo.

"Do you want us to lea-"

"No." Sting shook his head vehemently. "It's fine."

"It's NOT fine!" Natsu wrenched his wrist from Gray's grasp and jumped to his feet, hands clenched at his sides. "That bastard – and nobody said anything, not even your guild, what kind of friends are those?" Sting didn't answer, just lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Why didn't you leave?!"

"I TRIED!" Sting turned to him and snarled, pushing Porlyusica's hands away from his chest. "You don't think I thought of that? Of course I tried to leave." He breathed heavily. "First time I tried I was – I was eleven." Natsu's sharp intake of breath made Sting laugh mirthlessly. "Yeah, some of us didn't have a family. Jiemma took me in when n-nobody else would, but he expected s-so much of me and I was just a k-k-kid." Sting's words stuttered as he choked on the emotion behind them. "So I tried to leave and he f-found me with a f-family that took me in. And he-" Sting squeezed his eyes shut and collapsed back on the bed, letting out a sob. "He KILLED them! He killed them all, even the little boy that was only eight. It was my fault, if I hadn't run I-"

Sting's outburst was interrupted by a pair of strong arms around his shoulders and a scarf in his face. Natsu gripped him tightly, and after a moment Sting relaxed and let his face fall onto the broad chest in front of him.

"It wasn't your fault," Natsu whispered. He let go of Sting's shoulders and crouched down on the ground in front of the taller boy. "You were just a kid, and he was a monster. I'm sorry." Rogue moved his hand from Sting's hip to around his shoulders, and Porlyusica stood and backed away from the boys, smiling softly as she left the room. Gray moved over to join Rogue and Sting on the bed, resting so that his knee knocked gently against Sting's.

"I did so many things that I didn't want to do," Sting whispered, burying his face in his hands. Natsu squeezed his knee.

"Jiemma used me to make Sting compliant once he was older," Rogue explained softly, rubbing comforting circles on the non-injured areas of Sting's back. "I joined when we were thirteen. The first time Jiemma hit me, Sting just about killed him, and Jiemma realized that he had what he needed to keep Sting in line." Rogue looked down and swallowed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Rogue," Sting whispered, turning and burying his face in Rogue's neck. Rogue reached up and stroked his hair gently. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe."

"You did, Sting," the dark-haired boy whispered, "look at where we are. We're safe now."

Sting continued to cry, and the other three boys maneuvered themselves onto the bed so they were all touching him comfortingly – Rogue's hand in his hair, Gray's hand squeezing his, and Natsu's hand making circles on his back. Eventually, he fell asleep to their touch, and Rogue's comforting mantra of, "We're safe, I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

Sting was snoring softly in his lap when Rogue finally looked up at the other two boys and took a deep breath. Natsu cut him off before he could say anything.

"You're staying." It was a statement, with just enough hint of a question that Rogue could say no if he really wanted to. Which he didn't. Obviously. But how would Sting feel? Sting had always been the more prideful of the two, and ashamed of how his power had been used against him. Now that he had a moment to think about it, Rogue was honestly surprised that they had ended up here – that this had been the first place that Sting thought was safe. Was it because Fairy Tail had shown themselves to be powerful, and Sting thought that would keep Minerva and the others off their backs? Or was it because he saw a family in them that neither he nor Rogue had ever had?

His gaze drifted back to Natsu's face, open and honest with a slightly furrowed brow, and Rogue realized he had been sitting there for too long without saying anything. Sting always said it was one the reasons that people thought he was strange.

"I...I think so?" He looked down hesitantly at Sting and ran a gentle hand through his hair. Then he glanced out the window and realized with a start that it was dark out – again. "What time – what day – "

"About ten now," Natsu replied, "Today was the day off so you two just got to laze around in bed all day." He grinned, and Rogue found himself smiling.

"So what are you going to do?" The question came from Gray, who had been silent so far, but now gazed at Rogue intently. Rogue ducked his head, avoiding the gaze. He was silent for a while, then shrugged.

"I d-don't know," he admitted, clutching Sting a little tighter to him. Sting exhaled softly and then turned himself, nuzzling Rogue's stomach and sighing happily. Rogue felt his face begin to flush, but he didn't release his friend. He looked up to see Gray giving Natsu a half-smile, and he swallowed.

"Do you know…" he licked his lips and continued, voice wavering. "What happened to – I mean, is S-s-Sabertooth still – does anyone k-know…" he trailed off, reaching a hand up to his face and rubbing his temples miserably.

"Sabertooth reformed under Minerva," Gray responded, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. He ran a hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck. "Nobody knows anything about Jiemma, they're not saying what happened." Rogue swallowed and nodded, feeling dazed. He hadn't even thought about Minerva – about her cruelty, the way she always _looked_ at him and ran her fingernails down his arms. He shuddered, pushing the memories away. And the idea of Jiemma being _dead_ was still taking its time to work its way through his brain.

"We're gonna kick their asses," Natsu exclaimed, slapping a fist into his palm. Rogue stiffened for a moment, then relaxed his shoulders, realizing that Natsu was, in a strange way, trying to make him feel better. Gray stood and rested a hand on Natsu's shoulders and the pink-haired boy blinked at him, then gave Rogue a grin.

The sound of someone clearing their throat in the doorway made the three boys jump, and Sting started, reaching up and rubbing his eyes. Makarov was standing at the door. Rogue had only seen the Fairy Tail Master a few times, and he had never looked particularly imposing – especially considering that Rogue always had Jiemma to compare with. But looking at the man now, Rogue could sense the power in his presence. Even Natsu straightened up a bit.

"How are you feeling?" Makarov asked from the door. Rogue just nodded, ducking his head so his hair fell in his face. Sting blinked a few times and pushed himself up on his elbows, looking around sleepily. Gray hopped off the bed and headed over to the Master.

"I think they need a few minutes," he said softly, and Makarov nodded.

"Rest for now," he said to the boys. "I'll be back to speak with you." Rogue nodded. Natsu reached out a hand and hesitated as the dark-haired boy flinched violently.

"I'm sorry," Natsu said, pulling his hand away and giving Rogue a sad smile.

"Not your fault," whispered Rogue. Natsu smiled again and then headed for the door, closing it behind him.

Rogue let out a heavy breath and sighed, staring down at Sting, who was still braced against his thigh. His face had been so peaceful when he slept – no aggression or anger – but now that hardness was returning. Rogue ran a gentle finger down the scar above Sting's eyebrow and felt tears welling up in his eyes again. Could they really be free? Could he touch Sting like this and know that it wouldn't be used against him the next day?

Sting hadn't looked away from him, and leaned into Rogue's hand as it made its way down the side of his jaw. He turned and planted a gentle kiss in the centre of Rogue's palm. Rogue's fingers lingered over the gash on Sting's cheek and he sighed softly.

"You alright?" Sting murmured, pulling himself to a sitting position and grasping Rogue's knee. "I-" he swallowed, taking a shaky breath. "I thought I'd lost you." Rogue shook his head vehemently.

 _You can't get rid of me that easily,_ he signed. Sting laughed, a sharp exhale. He remembered Rogue teaching him those signs, back when they needed a way to communicate without Jiemma or Minerva catching on. Rogue had all but stopped talking a few months after he joined Sabertooth, and the two boys had gotten used to communicating with their hands instead. Sometimes, Sting thought, it was easier than saying things out loud. Especially things like _I care for you, You're special to me, You're amazing_ …and _I love you._

 _Okay_? Sting watched Rogue's hands move up to his chest in the simple sign. He nodded, stretching his arms above his head and groaning softly, then looking quizzically at Rogue. _Minerva took over Sabertooth,_ Rogue signed, _and they're still competing in the games_. Sting's eyes widened, and Rogue could see they were filled with fear. _I don't think they knew where we are._

Sting shook his head, reaching out a hand to rest on Rogue's chest, where the blast had hit him. He was silent for a long time, but Rogue could feel his hand trembling through the bandages. Finally he removed his hand.

 _I don't know how to feel_. His hands were shaky, but the sentiment was there. _There's so much – I'm relieved and scared and…_ he looked up at Rogue again and reached out a hand, touching his cheek and running a thumb along his bottom lip. Rogue closed his eyes and let out a shaky half-sigh, half-moan. This wasn't a new thing, the touching. They had shared a room at Sabertooth, and had spent nearly every night in the same bed, legs entwined, heads on each other's chests, hands clasped. But it was all so hidden. The more affection they showed for each other, the more Jiemma could use it against them.

 _He's not here anymore_ , Rogue signed, hands shaky from the feeling of Sting's fingers on his lips. _And we can worry about everything else later._ Ignoring the pain in his chest, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sting's.

There was no awkward pause like he had expected, just a soft sigh and complete and utter reciprocation. Sting's hand moved back to thread into Rogue's hair, the other clasped against the shadow slayer's chest, and he kissed Rogue like he hoped it could convey all the things he didn't know how to say. He could feel Rogue's heartbeat increasing, fluttering under their joined hands, and he knew it matched the pounding he could feel in his own veins.

After a minute they broke apart, both breathing shakily, foreheads pressed together and smiles on their faces.

"Rogue?"

"Mm."

"Don't ever scare me like that again." A soft puff of laughter crossed Rogue's lips.

"You know I can't promise that," Rogue whispered, leaning in for another soft kiss. Sting sighed gently, then nipped at Rogue's bottom lip.

"Rogue, I…I mean, I want to – I just – l-"

A loud, excited voice broke through their intimate moment as Happy barged into the room.

"They're in LUUUUUUUUURVE!"


	6. Chapter 6

A tense silence filled the room as the tiny blue Exceed stared innocently at Sting and Rogue – Sting's hands in Rogue's hair, Rogue's hands on Sting's chest, both blushing furiously and still breathing heavily. Happy shrank back from the glare that began to form on Sting's face as he yanked his hands back and wiped his mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed at the Exceed, standing up from the bed and trying to take a step forward, but wobbling slightly. Everything still ached, and he stumbled before falling back onto the bed opposite Rogue.

It's okay, Rogue signed to him quickly. They're not him. Sting nodded shakily, then buried his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled to Happy, who smiled brightly at him. "It's okay, Natsu says I should respect everyone's privacy."

"Yes, you should," Natsu poked his head into the room and grabbed the blue Exceed, waving apologetically at Sting and Rogue. "I was just bringing Gramps to see you, I'm heading out to save Lucy. See ya!"

Sting looked at Rogue, puzzlement on his face. When he looked back at the door, Makarov was standing there instead. He sighed. "Master," he said quietly.

"Sting," Makarov replied, moving into the room and standing in between the two beds. "How are you both feeling?"

"Fine," Rogue said hurriedly, and Makarov raised an eyebrow. Rogue sighed. "Everything hurts and I want to sleep forever?" This time the tiny master nodded.

"You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like," Makarov said. He was silent for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't think Sabertooth will come looking for you. They're busy trying to win the games, and Minerva doesn't seem to be the sentimental type." Sting snorted. "We can offer you protection here, and a place in the guild, if you wish."

Sting gaped at Makarov. He knew Natsu had "welcomed" them to the guild, but had thought it was only a kindness, not an invitation. He glanced over at Rogue, who was holding his injured chest and looking exhausted. Sting hesitated, tapping his fingers on the bed.

"It's not a decision to be made right now," Makarov assured him, filling Sting with relief. "I know that we have been rivals up until now, but I didn't realize what was going on inside Sabertooth." He looked sadly at Sting, whose face began to burn. Something inside of him flared in irritation.

"We don't need your pity," he snapped, refusing to meet the master's gaze.

"I know," Makarov replied. "I'm not pitying you. I'm honoring your strength." Sting looked up at him, disbelieving. "There aren't many who would risk their life for another" – here he looked at Rogue – "and even fewer who would give up everything they know to save another's life." His gaze seemed to pierce into Sting, and he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"It doesn't matter how much good I do," he said finally. "It will never make up for the awful things I've done. I don't deserve your kindness."

"Sting-" Rogue began to speak, but Sting cut him off.

"You know its true, Rogue. I can't excuse what I've done."

"HE BEAT YOU!" Rogue's shout surprised Sting, making him flinch out of habit. "You see? He made you so afraid of him that even me yelling has you on edge. And you KNOW you can trust me." Makarov remained silent, but didn't leave the room.

"I just wanted to keep you safe," Sting mumbled, looking down at the bed and twisting the blanket between his fingers. "It was me or you, and I couldn't watch him hurt you."

"And how do you think I felt?" Rogue wasn't shouting, but this was the loudest Sting had ever heard him speak. And the longest. "It was hell, waiting in our room for you to come back, bleeding and bruised, with broken bones. I felt so guilty. I still feel guilty. Why do you think I tried to take the blame this time?"

Sting put his head in his hands and pulled his hair in frustration.

"What else could I have done?" He whispered.

"I don't know," was the soft response. "I don't think there was any good answer."

There was a knock at the door and Sting looked up to see Porlyusica standing there, several bottles in her hands. Makarov waved her in, and she moved to sit next to Rogue.

"This is for the pain," she said, handing him a bottle filled with a strange blue mixture. "I'm also here to try some more magic on your chest." Rogue nodded, gulping down the bottle. Porlyusica handed an identical bottle to Sting, but he didn't take it.

"I don't deserve your help," he whispered, pulling his knees up to his chest and hiding his face. "I don't deserve any of this. I didn't know where else to go." He felt tears behind his eyes again and cursed silently. "I was so scared that Rogue would die."

"From what I saw of your previous injuries, some of them could have killed you as well," Porlyusica replied bluntly. "That man beat you within an inch of your life on a regular basis, threatened someone you love to keep you in line, and made you terrified of any affection or kindness." Sting's cheeks had flushed at the 'someone you love' part of her speech, but she didn't notice. "You don't feel like you can trust anyone because you never know if they will hurt you. Makarov isn't anything like Jiemma, but he has the same power that your old master did, and that makes you scared. Your last guild membership carried a heavy price, and the prospect of finding yourself in a similar situation is terrifying."

Sting stared at the woman in amazement. How could she look into him so easily? Everything she was saying made perfect sense, and mirrored all of his fears and insecurities.

"You're angry at the rest of Sabertooth because they knew what was happening and didn't do anything about it." It appeared Porlyusica was not finished. "You also feel ashamed, like you deserved to be abused." Sting froze. He had never used that term to describe his experience before. For the longest time, he had assumed that the beatings were just part of a normal life. Minerva was beaten as well, and he didn't know any other children his age. Jiemma had kept the guild fairly secluded, except for the games every year, and meeting the members of Fairy Tail was the first time Sting had seen the kindness and camaraderie that he had been missing.

"How do you know how I feel?" He whispered, slowly reaching out to take the bottle she was offering. She smiled softly at him.

"You aren't the first person I've met who has gone through this kind of thing." Her eyes looked sad.

They all sat in silence for a moment while Rogue laid down and Porlyusica pushed her healing magic into his battered chest. He cried out in pain a few times, and Sting immediately moved over to him, holding his hand and stroking his hair.

"Feel better?" She asked once she was finished treating him. Rogue took a few deep breaths and nodded.

"It still hurts, but its not so bad now. I think I just need to sleep." His voice softened with each word.

"Then sleep you shall," said Makarov. "Take your time to think about my offer. You will receive our aid either way. We will never turn down someone who needs our help." Sting nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor. He felt exhausted again. "Sleep, and tomorrow the games will be over. After that, what happens is up to you." Makarov smiled and gave a short tip of his head, then motioned to Porlyusica and they both left the room.

Sting looked down at Rogue and then sat on the edge of the bed, sighing heavily.

"Looks like we're both pretty messed up, hey?" He stroked the back of Rogue's hand as he spoke. Rogue laughed softly.

"I guess so," he replied, leaning over and kissing Sting softly. Sting felt something flutter wildly in his stomach and he reached up, threading his fingers into Rogue's hair and deepening the kiss. Rogue moaned quietly into his mouth, and Sting took that as a cue to move closer, shifting onto the bed until he was leaning over Rogue, one hand on the back of his neck and the other running up and down his chest. Rogue's hands trailed along Sting's back, so soft and gentle that he could barely feel it over the welts and bruises. He sighed softly into Rogue's mouth, then broke away slowly, smiling down at the dark-haired slayer.

"Sleep?"

"Sleep."

Rogue shuffled over and turned onto his side, leaving enough room for Sting to slide down behind him, looping an arm over Rogue's stomach. Sting buried his face in the back of Rogue's neck, inhaling his familiar scent and feeling content. Tomorrow would bring a mess of problems, but for now he was warm, safe, fed, not in pain, and next to the man he loved.

He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Rogue's neck, and then both men fell into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The last day of the Grand Magic Games dawned slowly, the sun peering its way through the curtains and warming Rogue's cheek. He took a deep breath, testing the pain in his chest, and smiled when he noticed a hand resting on his stomach. Sting was still pressed against his back, cheek nuzzled into his hair, breath tickling the back of Rogue's neck with each soft snore. Rogue covered Sting's hand with his own and entwined their fingers.

Looking around the room, he could see that Gray and Ezra had snuck in at some point during the night and made it to their beds. Natsu and Wendy were nowhere to be seen. Rogue vaguely recalled Natsu mentioning something about saving Lucy the night before, and wondered if he had gotten himself into trouble again.

Rogue slowly slipped out from Sting's embrace, moving shakily to his feet and standing for a moment before taking a step forward. Everything still ached, and he felt stiff everywhere, but he could breathe well enough and his legs worked. Seeing that he was only wearing the remnants of his pants, he looked around and grabbed a spare shirt from Natsu's luggage. Tugging it on, he shuffled out of the small room.

The Honeybone Inn wasn't large, but had another room for the rest of the team members, plus an extra room for the guild master. Both of those doors were closed, but the washroom was open, so Rogue pushed the door open and stepped inside.

His reflection in the mirror looked terrible. In addition to the bandages from his fight with Natsu, more bruises were beginning to bloom across his left cheekbone and temple. His entire torso was wrapped in bandages, and one ran down his left arm, covering a deep gash on his bicep. He sighed, running some water and splashing it onto his face, then running a hand through his hair. It was tangled and still had dried blood in some spots, so he ran it under the water and rinsed it as best he could, then pulled it up in a ponytail. He rubbed his eyes, feeling slightly more human, then stepped out into the corridor and collided with what felt like a solid brick wall.

"Watch where the hell you're goi-" A deep voice started to chastise him, then stopped when it realized who he was. Gajeel stared down at him, piercings running down his face and wild hair held back with a bandana. "Ryos, huh?" Rogue scowled.

"Rogue," he mumbled. After all those years of idolizing Gajeel, meeting the man in person was a bit overwhelming. That combined with the pain from his chest made Rogue stagger a little, and Gajeel reached out to steady him. Panicking, Rogue tried to wrench his arm from Gajeel's grasp, but the taller man didn't let go.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya," he grumbled in an oddly gentle voice. "C'mon, you look like you need to sit. And I'm sick of that lightning idiot's snoring anyway." He shot a dirty look back at the second bedroom, then guided Rogue outside of the inn, sitting down on the front step and pulling the younger man down next to him. Rogue leaned his arms forward on his knees and took a few deep breaths.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"Ya need the healer?" Gajeel asked, looking concerned. Rogue shook his head and Gajeel nodded, then turned back to face the city. The sunlight peered through the buildings, burning away the morning mist and drawing colour back into Crocus. Windows began to open, people shouted their greetings, and Rogue felt a strange sense of satisfaction at the idea that the world was still the same.

Gajeel and Rogue sat in a strangely comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching the dawn and letting the cool morning breeze ruffle through their hair. Finally, Gajeel broke the silence.

"If Sting hadn't already killed the guy, I woulda done it." Rogue looked up at him, surprised. "Well, I'm sure the flame brain and the ice princess woulda fought me to get there first. Erza was ready to go full Heaven's Wheel on 'im too. And I'm pretty sure Lucy coulda convinced all her spirits to join in."

Rogue looked at him incredulously.

"Why?" He asked softly, bunching the fabric of his pants into his hands. "We are – were – rivals. You don't even know us." He took a deep breath, envisioning the combined strength of Fairy Tail incinerating his old guild.

"Hitting kids ain't right," Gajeel replied, looking sternly at the ground. "One thing to throw down in the arena – and you ain't bad, by the way – but kickin' a kid around cause you don't like how he looks at ya…" The older man trailed off and turned to Rogue, finally making eye contact. Rogue's face was red with embarrassment.

"I didn't think there was anything different," he whispered. "After Skiadrum…" He stopped, running a hand over his face. Gajeel nodded, not saying anything.

"You don't think you deserve a second chance." It was more of a statement than a question, and Rogue frowned at Gajeel. "I didn't either. I attacked Fairy Tail. Tried to kill the girl I – a girl here. Destroyed the guild hall, did a lot of bad shit. But after it was all said and done, the first thing they did was forgive me, and ask me to join them."

"Why?" Rogue asked. It was the question that had been plaguing him since they arrived here, since he woke up in Natsu's bed with a Fairy Tail healer helping him, no questions asked.

"They believe in us, kid." Gajeel shrugged, then stood up and reached out a hand to Rogue. He took it and let himself be pulled to his feet. "You two've got something." Rogue blushed and started to stammer, but Gajeel waved his words away, laughing. "I'm not talking about the lovey-dovey garbage, that's between you and him. I mean loyalty. How many hits did he take for ya? And how much would you risk for him?"

"I would do anything to protect Sting," Rogue whispered. Gajeel nodded solemnly.

"That's what Fairy Tail is. Doing anything to protect the ones you love." Rogue looked up at Gajeel, who immediately looked uncomfortable and crossed his arms. "Anyway, c'mon kid. It's time to watch me pound your old guild into the dirt."


	8. Chapter 8

**THEN (AGE 13)**

 _Sting winced as he dabbed at the deep wound on his cheek, wiping away the blood and dirt. This one had been his fault – he had been distracted and Minerva had taken advantage of the momentary lapse in judgement and kicked him in the face. For such a slim woman, she was surprisingly strong._

 _"STING!" The young boy sighed, placing his hands on either side of the sink and staring miserably at his reflection. He had managed to clean himself up enough to look "presentable", but without magical healing, the cut on his cheek was going to leave a scar._

 _"Coming!" He yelled back, plastering a bandage over the cut and running his hand though his hair, then jogging down the hallway toward the main guild hall._

 _Jiemma was sitting on what Sting had come to think of as his "throne" – an enormous iron chair with a high back and carvings up the sides. Standing next to him was a boy, around Sting's age, with dark hair that covered most of his face. When Sting entered the room, the boy glanced up at him, and Sting could see that his pupils were red._

 _"Sting, this is Rogue. He is the newest member of Sabertooth. You will share your quarters and your food with him." Sting looked up at Jiemma, slightly bewildered. "He will begin training with you tomorrow. Understood?" Sting froze in place, looking back toward the boy. He hadn't moved, but his posture was closed off and defensive. He didn't look injured, but it was hard to tell with the layers of clothing he wore. Why was he here? Had Jiemma recruited him? Fear began to bubble in his chest. He didn't know this boy, but he didn't want him to get hurt either._

 _"ARE YOU LISTENING?!" Jiemma leaped from his throne and stormed toward Sting, who cowered, throwing an arm in font of his face._

 _"Yes!" His voice sounded high and pathetic, and he cursed himself for being so weak. "Yes, sir." He could still see Rogue, who hadn't moved but whose eyes had widened at Jiemma's aggression._

 _"Go." Jiemma's voice was low and dangerous, and Sting nodded, backing up and then motioning for Rogue to follow him._

 _The two boys made their way down the hall in silence, Sting still trembling but trying to hide it. He didn't want to look weak in front of the guild's newest member but feared it was too late. Finally, they reached his room and he pushed the door open slowly._

 _It was a dormitory style room with two single beds on either side, a small couch and table, and a door at the back that led to the washroom. It was embarrassingly plain – Sting hadn't had any possessions when he joined Sabertooth, and hadn't collected any during his stay._

 _"You can, uh…pick whichever bed, I don't really care, I don't sleep mu…" Sting trailed off, turning back to Rogue and seeing the boy giving him a strange look. Rogue stepped past Sting and wandered over to one bed, then the other, and Sting could see him sniff the air before he sat down on the bed Sting didn't usually use. "You're a dragon slayer too?!" Sting couldn't keep the excitement from his voice as Rogue smiled shyly at him from beneath his dark mess of hair. Suddenly, Sting felt a jab of fear run through his stomach and he raced over to Rogue, kneeling down at his feet._

 _"You need to run," he whispered urgently. "This isn't a safe place for you. There's a back entrance just down the hallway, I'll show you it." He tugged on Rogue's sleeve, but the boy didn't move. "I'll tell him you overpowered me, just get as far away from here as you-"_

 _A soft hand brushing over the bandage on his cheek stopped him in his tracks and he shivered. The hand moved to his chin and tipped his face to look straight into those dark red eyes._

 _"And what will he do to you?" Rogue's voice was almost a whisper. Sting shook his head fiercely._

 _"It doesn't matter," he whispered, "I can take it. Just please, please go."_

 _"I don't have anywhere to-"_

 _"ANYWHERE is better than here," Sting begged, grasping Rogue's knees. "And I can't go but you still have a choi-"_

 _"It's dangerous to talk like that," a sultry voice interrupted from the door. Sting stumbled backward and fell, hitting his head on the edge of the table and giving a muffled whimper of pain. "You know Daddy doesn't like you talking about him behind his back."_

 _A young girl stood in the doorframe, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old, with long black hair pinned black hair pinned up on either side of her head. She sneered at Sting, then looked over at Rogue and began to stalk across the room towards him._

 _"M-minerva," Sting gasped, scuttling backward away from her. "I-I didn't – I mean, I – I j-jus-"_

 _"SHUT UP!" Minerva turned angrily on her heel and backhanded Sting, knocking him to the floor. "Speak clearly, idiot. Nobody can understand that insufferable stutter." Rogue tried to stand and help Sting, but Minerva intercepted him, placing a coy hand on his chest._

 _"Don't." His voice was soft but full of fury. Minerva giggled, but didn't remove her hand. Instead, she pointed her other wrist at Sting, and a ball of multicolored energy began to form. Sting winced and covered his face with his arms – he had been on the receiving end of that magic many times._

 _"I think you will find out very quickly that NOBODY tells me what to do," Minerva purred, running the hand from Rogue's chest slowly downward, relishing in the boy's discomfort. "Unless, of course, you want your new boyfriend to find himself in some rather excruciating pain." She let a small amount of her energy fly out and hit Sting's arms, and the blonde boy bit down a sob._

 _Rogue trembled, but didn't move._

 _"Much better," Minerva whispered, leaning into Rogue and breathing in his ear. He shuddered, then let out an audible gasp as her hand found itself trailing around the waist of his pants. She giggled. "I haven't had a toy to play with in a long time," she whispered, running her tongue around his ear and then trailing her lips down the boy's neck. "I'm not a fan of blondes."_

 _"Please, stop." Sting begged quietly, seeing the fear and revulsion in Rogue's eyes. Minerva ignored him, shoving Rogue backward so that he fell onto the bed. She quickly straddled his hips, still keeping one hand pointed at Sting, who felt like he was going to be sick. If only he could have helped Rogue escape faster, maybe this would-_

 _"No," Rogue whispered quietly as Minerva began to unlace his pants. She reached up and slapped him instead, laughing at the trickle of blood that ran down his cheek. "No," he tried again, choking on the word and trying to back himself away from her advances. She sneered at him, then clawed her fingers down his chest, leaving a set of bloody red lines. He cried out in pain and her hand ran back to his pants, tearing at them and pulling them away from his body. He tried to push her off and she laughed, forgetting Sting and bringing both hands forward to grab Rogue's wrists._

 _Sting lost it. He struggled to his feet and a flare of white power burst from the ground around him, making Minerva glance back at him in surprise. Heavy white scales began to form on his arms and up his neck, and he growled, deep and low._

 _"Get. Off. Now." His voice was unrecognizable, and Minerva merely stared at him in amazement. He darted forward, surrounding his fist in a white aura and smashing it directly into her face. The blow was incredible, and knocked her off of Rogue and out of the room, smashing through the door and the adjacent wall. Sting stalked after her, grabbing her by the front of her tunic and throwing her through the person-sized hole she had made._

 _"Don't you ever touch him again," Sting growled, stalking through the hole and finding himself in the training arena. Minerva was lying facedown in the centre of the enormous room, and she struggled to pull herself up on her arms. Sting was shocked to see that she was laughing._

 _"So that's all it took, then?" She pushed herself up until she was standing unsteadily on her feet. "The legendary power of the dragon slayer, finally unlocked." She wiped blood from her face and grinned at him. "And here I've been trying to beat it out of you this whole time."_

 _"Shut UP!" Sting charged at her, forming a ball of white light in his palm and smashing it into her face, knocking her back against the wall. She grasped her side and winced._

 _"You are powerful now, slayer," she murmured, and he belatedly noticed that she wasn't defending herself but instead looking over his shoulder. "But we know your weakness." Sting's eyes widened and he spun around to follow Minerva's gaze._

 _Jiemma was standing at the entrance to the room, one massive hand around Rogue's throat. Rogue struggled against him, but the fist around his neck was enormous and he wasn't going anywhere._

 _"Good work, Minerva," Jiemma said, nodding at his daughter to leave the room. "And YOU!" The enormous man turned to Sting, who was breathing heavily as the flames around him slowly died away. Jiemma smiled evilly. "It looks like my plan was successful." He threw Rogue onto the ground, and the boy grasped at his throat, choking for air. "Training starts in earnest tomorrow. My twin dragon slayers will make us the greatest guild in Fiore." Then he turned on his heel and stormed from the room, leaving the boys alone._

 _"Rogue!" Sting scrambled to his feet and ran over to Rogue, grabbing the dark-haired boy's shoulder and feeling a deep pang of sorrow when it was met with a flinch. "Rogue, I'm so sorry." Sting dropped to his hands and knees, feeling tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-"_

 _His sobs were interrupted by a hand grasping his. He looked up into Rogue's face, taking in his torn clothing, his scraped hands, the bruises beginning to form around his neck. Sting slowly reached out and touched Rogue's face, leaning forward so that his forehead bumped against the other boy's. They sat there like that for a moment, both trying to control their breathing, until finally Rogue tugged on Sting's sleeve._

 _Sting looked up to see Rogue gesturing at him – placing a finger across his lips and shaking his head in a "no" motion. Sting nodded. Rogue then gestured to his head, imitating a pillow, and Sting smiled. He stood, slowly and stiffly, reaching out a hand to help Rogue to his feet, and the two boys headed back to their room._


	9. Chapter 9

When Rogue headed back inside, he found Sting awake, sitting on the bed with his knees up and his chin resting on his forearms. His face was dark and troubled, but when he saw Rogue it broke into a smile. He reached out and grabbed Rogue's hand, pulling him down onto the bed. Erza and Gray were still snoring in their own beds, but sunlight was beginning to filter into the room. 

You okay? Sting looked concerned, running his hand gently along Rogue's cheek and then grinning at his ponytail. I like the hair. 

Shut up. Rogue flushed a deep red and ducked his gaze, embarrassed.

I'm serious, Sting insisted. It's cute.

I am the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Even Rogue's signing managed to look indignant. I am NOT cute.

"You're adorable, you dummy," Sting whispered, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on Rogue's nose. Rogue flushed an even deeper shade of red and grumbled something unintelligible, but Sting could see the hint of a smile on his lips.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, just holding hands and breathing in sync. Finally, Rogue looked up at Sting.

What are we going to do? Sting sighed, running a hand through his hair and wincing at how the movement irritated his bruised ribs. His hair felt dirty and stiff, and he found himself imagining how good a hot shower would feel.

I'm not sure yet. He rubbed his hands over his face.

They said we could stay. Rogue's signs were hesitant, and he broke eye contact, looking down at his lap instead. Sting's stomach twisted and he flexed his hands several times before answering.

Do you remember when you first joined Sabertooth? There was no response from Rogue except a hitch in his breathing, but Sting could hear his heartbeat accelerating. He reached out a hand and placed it on Rogue's arm.

Of course I remember, Rogue replied. He glanced up at Sting, puzzled by the line of inquiry.

He's gone, but … she isn't. Sting looked miserable. She could still hurt you.

Rogue swallowed heavily and nodded, unconsciously putting his arm around his stomach. Jiemma had always been the biggest threat, but Minerva was insidious.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud bell outside, announcing the start of the final day of the Grand Magic Games. Gray and Erza both groaned from their respective beds, Erza rolling over and falling to the floor.

"Did her snoring keep you up?" Rogue realized that Gray was talking to him and pointing a thumb at Erza, who glared at him from the ground. Rogue stifled a laugh as she struggled to her feet.

"I slept like the dead," Rogue muttered, slowly struggling to his feet and stretching as much as he could with his limited range of motion.

"You almost WERE dead," Gray retorted, then looked mortified as Erza glared at him. "Sorry, that was an idiot-" Rogue cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"I'm probably STILL almost dead," he said quietly, trying to keep his tone light. Gray grinned at him.

"You're a tenacious bastard, I'll give you that. I don't think I've heard so many curses come from Porlyusica's mouth since that time Natsu accidentally brought a mountain down on me."

Sting snorted. "Are you sure it was accidental?" Gray laughed, rubbing his face.

"He is an idiot," Gray replied, then ducked as Erza raised her hand to cuff him across the head. She stopped, hand hanging in midair, as she saw the terrified expressions of Rogue and Sting.

"I apologize." She dropped her hand immediately and bowed her head to them. "I did not mean to bring up painfu-"

"It's fine." Sting's voice was flat as he pushed himself from the bed, trying to suppress the expression of fear on his face. Rogue reached for him, but Sting snatched his arm away and stormed out of the room, leaving the other three in an uncomfortable silence.

"It's okay, Erza," Rogue said softly, seeing the stricken expression on the red headed girl's face. "He just doesn't want other people to see that he's afraid." Erza nodded, clenching her fist and then meeting Rogue's gaze.

"Nevertheless, you have my apologies." She grabbed an armful of clothing from the bed, then made her way toward the washroom at the other end of the room. "I will refrain from such acts of violence around you in the future."

"Well that's good news for me and Natsu," Gray quipped, gauging the expression on Rogue's face and feeling relieved to see a smile. "She tends to bang our heads together if she thinks we're being too difficult." Rogue winced a little at that, then shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said, "It's just…difficult. Seeing this – how different – we…" he trailed off, at a loss for how to explain it to Gray. "If Jiemma wanted Sting to do something, he would threaten to hurt me. If he was angry, or bored, or wanted to motivate me, he would hurt Sting." Rogue felt the tell-tale prickling of tears behind his eyes. "We would take these long jobs, so we could stay away from him…but when we got back there was always something we did wrong. And then he would…hurt Sting. Hit him. Punch him, kick him, use magic against him." He could hear Gray's soft sounds of dismay, but couldn't meet the ice wizard's gaze. "I would get sent to our room and I would just…wait. For hours, sometimes." He decided not to mention Minerva's visits during those times. That was a whole other box of pain. "And then Sting would stumble it and it would be terrifying. Was something broken? Was it just bruises? Did he need stitches? One time he was b-bleeding int-ternally and I didn't know h-how to fix it. We had to sneak out to a healer, and s-she wanted to tell s-s-someone, said she h-had to, but Sting said she c-couldn't. H-h-he's been so s-scared for so long and…"

"Can I hug you?" Rogue's gaze snapped up to meet Gray's, who was now standing next to him. "If you don't wanna be touched, I get that." Rogue swallowed heavily, trying to keep the tears from coming. He shook his head at Gray, gaze dropping back to the ground.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Just too much right now."

"That's okay," Gray said, and when Rogue looked up he could see that Gray was smiling. "Natsu's better at the warm fuzzy stuff than me anyway." He dropped down onto the bed, leaving an acceptable amount of room between him and Rogue. "What can I do?"

Rogue was silent for a moment, running his hands over his face and rubbing his eyes. Eventually he replied, "Be patient with us. Him, especially." Gray nodded. "He's…embarrassed to have asked for help. If it wasn't for me, he would have stayed. He never wants to be seen as weak."

"It's not weak to ask for help," Gray murmured. "Swallowing your pride is never easy. That pink-haired idiot has saved my life on more than one occasion and believe me, I know it stings." Rogue glanced sideways at the ice mage and was not surprised to see a faint blush rising in his cheeks.

"Thank you for letting us stay." Rogue reached out a tentative hand and touched the back of Gray's arm in what he hoped was an appreciative gesture.

"Hey, just means we have six dragon slayers on our team now." Gray stood up and grinned at him. "All we're missing is Cobra and we'd have the whole set! Is there some sort of bonus for collecting you all?" Rogue rolled his eyes as Gray moved back over to his bed and rummaged through his bag. He turned, tossing some shirts and a pair of pants at Rogue. "They should fit, Natsu's about your size so if you wanna go though his stuff feel free. Although he has terrible taste in clothes."

"Fro thinks so too!" Rogue's eyes widened as he turned to the door and saw Frosche running toward him with an enormous smile on his face.

"Frosche!" He scooped up the tiny Exceed in his arms, squeezing them tightly. "Are you okay?"

"Happy gave us fish!" Rogue laughed, petting Frosche's head gently. Frosche's face became serious and they put their paws on either side of Rogue's face. "Is Rogue hurt?"

"A little," Rogue admitted, unable to disguise the bandages or bruises. "But we're safe here now."

"Frosche can stay with Happy?" The little Exceed seemed thrilled by this revelation and Rogue laughed. He was about to reply when he saw Sting standing in the doorway, Lector clutched in his arms.

"For now, yes," Rogue replied, letting Frosche climb back to the ground and run back out the door, chanting, "fish, fish, fish, fish". Rogue walked up to Sting, noting that Gray had changed into his team uniform and was leaning against his bed, waiting for Erza.

Sting's expression was downcast, and he clutched Lector to him like a doll. Lector's fur was slightly damp and Sting's eyes were red, and neither of them looked up as Rogue approached.

Do you feel up to watching the games? Rogue signed, placing a hand on Sting's cheek and ducking down to look into his eyes. Gajeel says we can join the Fairy Tail viewing area, and they can make it so that nobody can see us. He reached down and scratched Lector's head gently, who grumbled in protest but quieted down as soon as Rogue's finger moved behind his ear.

"Are we ever gonna be okay?" Sting asked quietly. He leaned forward and buried his face in Rogue's neck, letting Rogue wrap a strong set of arms around his waist.

"Maybe," Rogue replied. "Maybe not." Sting huffed into his shoulder. "I know that's not the answer you're looking for. But we made it this far, right?" Rogue leaned back again and ran his hands up to frame Sting's face, running a gentle thumb over his lower lip. Sting made an almost imperceptible sound and closed his eyes, smiling into the kiss he knew was coming. It was soft, sweet and chaste, but Rogue pushed as much emotion into it as he could. Eventually, Lector's grumbling about them being "gross" broke them apart, and Sting laughed at the Exceed, ruffling his fur and setting him down on the floor.

"Let's go watch the games," Sting said, catching Rogue's hand in his. "And we'll be cheering for the right team this time."


	10. Chapter 10

Walking into the Fairy Tail viewing area was overwhelming, but Rogue was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome they received. He didn't really recognize anyone except the Raijinshu, so he shyly sat down next to Freed, pulling Sting with him. Frosche and Lector had hopped up on the railing to see better, and everyone was staring at the lacrima screens intently.

"How are you feeling?" Freed smiled at Rogue, shuffling over to make room for him and Sting. "I heard you were badly injured but you look like you're healing well." Rogue nodded, the words caught in his throat. Sting noticed the struggle on Rogue's face and grabbed his hand, answering for him.

"We were lucky that your healer could help us," he replied. Freed nodded, then turned his attention back to the screen, where Laxus was the centre of attention.

Rogue leaned into Sting, looking up to gauge his reaction to a public display of affection. Sting's gaze was glued to the screen, which had now moved over to show some familiar faces.

"And her we have the new Team Sabertooth, led by Minerva!" The announcer's voice pierced through the chatter of conversation around them, and everyone turned to the screen. "The Twin Dragon Slayers are nowhere to be seen, and a special exception has been allowed for them to be replaced by Dobengal and Earle!" Sting and Rogue barely recognized their replacements, knowing them only as lower-class members of the guild. But Rogue's gaze was stuck on Minerva. She looked directly into the lacrima, and Rogue shuddered.

"It's okay," Sting whispered, squeezing Rogue's hand. "She doesn't know you're here."

"I feel like she can see right into me," he replied quietly, breathing a sigh of relief as the lacrima panned to another team.

"There's an invisibility script over you two," Freed said, returning his attention to the two boys. "Only Fairy Tail members can see you right now. I promise it's effective, its my own work."

"Thank you, Freed." Sting squeezed Rogue's hand again, and the dark-haired boy finally smiled.

"What are they doing out there?!" Master Makarov appeared to be speaking to himself, and the boys frowned. They looked up at the lacrima to see the Fairy Tail team – Laxus, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and…Juvia?

"Where's Natsu?" Sting asked Freed, looking puzzled.

"He's part of the rescue team," Freed explained.

"Rescuing who?"

"Lucy!" Freed replied. "She was taken by the guard, there's something suspicious going on. Master is hoping that everyone will be so focused on the Games today that they won't notice the group of them sneaking into the castle."

Rogue and Sting frowned, remembering Natsu's declaration that he was "off to save Lucy". Sting turned to ask Freed something else, but the green-haired man was now leaning forward, staring at the screen, where Laxus was battling against Orga.

Sting was satisfied to see Orga taken out by Jura, and Gajeel completely demolish Dobengal with barely any effort. Juvia managed to easily defeat Earle, leaving only Rufus and Minerva.

Minerva's fought with the same cruel, sadistic methods that Sting and Rogue had seen in their training with her. Kidnapping Millianna, forcing Kagura and Erza to fight each other – these were all underhanded tactics that they had seen a hundred times over. Rogue squeezed Sting's hand tighter as he watched her, and Sting rubbed comforting circles on the back of Rogue's hand with his thumb.

Gray's fight against Rufus was nerve-wracking, but both Sting and Rogue leapt to their feet and cheered when he finally defeated the memory-make mage, strolling out of the library with his pink feathered hat.

"He had that coming," Rogue murmured in Sting's ear, and Sting snorted. The two remained standing, Sting wrapping an arm around Rogue's waist.

"Ladies and gentleman, it has come down to this!" The screen moved back to Erza, who was struggling to stand on her injured ankle. Minerva stood over her, staring down with contempt at the red-headed girl. "All of Fairy Tail's members are injured – do they stand a chance against the immense power of Minerva? Will Sabertooth be the champion again this year?"

On the screen, Erza forced herself into a standing position, keeping her weight off of her injured ankle and holding her sword out in front of her. Rogue grasped Sting's arm hard enough to leave marks, and Sting let him, rubbing his back gently.

"It's okay," he whispered, pulling Rogue closer to him. "It's okay. You're safe."

"I will rise again and again," Erza ground out through clenched teeth. "If it's a battle I cannot lose, I will continue to get back up." Minerva looked unfazed. "I already warned you – you have made an enemy of the one guild you do not want to anger."

"Anger is bad for your complexion," Minerva smirked.

"How DARE you do this," Erza fumed. Her voice was tight and full of anger. "To Lucy, to Milliana, to Kagura, to – to my friends." Her hands tightened into tense fists at her sides. "I am furious!"

"And I am I supposed to fear your anger?" Minerva replied cooly, summoning a ball of multicolored light in her hand and causing portals to open near Erza, exploding and tossing her backward.

"Erza!" Rogue cried, grabbing on to Sting. His chest was on fire and his injuries ached, but he couldn't sit down. "Erza," he whispered, "please be careful".

On the screen, the other members of Fairy Tail were shown making their way to the square – Gray leaning heavily on Juvia, Gajeel looking bruised, and Laxus breathing heavily and holding his side. Explosions continued around Erza, one blowing up behind her and throwing her forward.

"I am INVINCIBLE!" Minerva screamed, raising her hands and causing more explosions all around the area. The other team members ducked to avoid the damage. "The most powerful magic belongs to the most powerful guild!"

Erza came flying through the dust clouds, a sword in each hand, and charged at Minerva, dodging the magic and slashing at her with her twin swords. Minerva cried out in pain and was thrown backward, and Rogue stiffened.

"Did she just…" Sting couldn't do anything but nod. Only once had he been able to hit Minerva, and that was when she infuriated him into unlocking Dragon Force for the first time. Titania's power was clearly immense.

"My anger is the fury of my GUILD!" Erza screamed, charging at Minerva again. "Second Origin: Liberation!" Her form shimmered, and her torn clothes were replaced by an enormous spear and a teal and white robe, with shoulder pauldrons in the shape of a lion.

"Nonsense!" Minerva screamed, bringing her arms up in front of her and flinging a blast of energy at Erza. "Disappear!"

"IT'S OVER!" Erza shouted, cutting the energy blast in half with her weapon. Minerva's expression turned to one of horror and she backed away, dropping her hands. Rogue could hear Levy reading an explanation of the amour next to them, but couldn't focus on anything other than the fight.

"How can you have this much power left?" Minerva shouted in disbelief.

"You harmed the people I care about too much," Erza replied solemnly. "SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"

"D-don't," Minerva stammered, stepping backward. "Stop, I…I…"

"NAKAGAMI ASTERISM!" Erza's thunderous roar could be heard even without the aid of the lacrima, as she swung her weapon at Minerva. It connected, sending Minerva flying across the courtyard and crashing into the ground, where she twitched and then lay still.

Team Fairy Tail dropped to their knees in unison, exhausted but smiling. Erza's armour blurred and faded away, leaving her in the tattered remnants of her old clothes. Slowly, all five of them looked up into the lacrima, raising their hands in victory.

"WELL FOLKS, THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE WINNER OF THE X791 GRAND MAGIC GAMES IS FAIRY TAIL!"

Rogue breathed a sigh of relief, then fainted into Sting's arms.


	11. Chapter 11

Rogue drifted back into consciousness to someone…singing? He reached a hand up to his head and winced – this chest wound wasn't letting up. He wondered if Jiemma's magic somehow surpassed his usual healing.

"Hey," a gentle hand touched his elbow and helped him to sit – Sting. "How're you feeling?"

"Kinda getting tired of being asked that question," Rogue grumbled, wiping his eyes. He looked around – back in Natsu's bed at the Honeybone Inn. "Were you singing?" Sting flushed and dodged the question.

"Porlyusica said you shouldn't have been out of bed," He said quickly, reaching forward and brushing Rogue's hair from his eyes. "She threatened to tie you to it, but compromised when I said I'd watch you." Rogue snorted a laugh, leaning into Sting's soft touch. He hummed as Sting ran his fingers behind Rogue's ear and down his neck, resting on his shoulder.

"That feels nice," Rogue whispered. Sting laughed and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Rogue's. A soft sigh escaped Rogue's lips and he reached up a hand, twisting it into Sting's surprisingly soft hair. This kissing thing was never going to get old, he thought.

Sting whimpered quietly at the touch and trailed soft kisses down Rogue's chin and throat, and when Sting's tongue hit the soft place in the hollow of his throat, Rogue let out an embarrassingly loud moan. He placed a hand on Sting's chin and lifted his head so that they were eye to eye. A pink flush ran across Sting's cheeks, and his eyes were crinkled in a lazy smile that made Rogue's stomach flip.

"We're not alone here," Rogue murmured, pressing a much more chaste kiss to Sting's lips before shifting awkwardly in the bed, trying to hide his growing arousal. "This isn't a good-"

"Mmmm," Sting disagreed, squeezing Rogue's hand and leaning back down to attack his neck again.

"Where – aah – is everyone?" Rogue asked, glancing around at the empty room. The afternoon sun was being washed away by evening light that drifted through the open windows. People on the streets were carousing and singing cheers to Fairy Tail, and Rogue was fairy certain he could hear Gajeel out there with them. "Stingggg – ngh – are you even – aah! – listening to me?"

Sting hummed a little, sending a vibration along Rogue's collarbone that travelled straight to his groin. He moaned again, gripping a hand tighter into Sting's hair, and let Sting push him back into the pillows. Sting swung his legs up on the bed until he was straddling the dark-haired boy, then leaned over him until their noses were touching.

"Do you want this?" He asked breathily, running a hand down the side of Rogue's face. Even underneath the bandages, he could see how fucking gorgeous Rogue was, and how much he wanted to devour the shadow slayer.

"S-sting," Rogue whimpered in answer, grinding his hips upwards and eliciting a gasp of surprise from Sting.

"Fuck, Rogue," Sting breathed, thrusting back and crashing his lips down into Rogue's. "Ahh!" He cried out in a mix of pleasure and pain as Rogue's grip on his hair tightened. He let Rogue pull his head up and expose his neck, and practically whined with excitement as Rogue's tongue found his throat. Gods that felt good, especially when Rogue's sharp canines brushed the delicate skin there. Sting growled, reaching down for Rogue's shirt.

"Yo, you guys gonna – oh."

Sting and Rogue froze at Gray's voice and immediately scrambled back into their original positions – Rogue on the bed and Sting in his chair. Rogue bunched the blanket up around him, and Sting tried to still his breathing, knowing he couldn't hide the pink blush that now reached to his cheeks.

"Ah…sorry…" Gray stood in the doorway, eyes on the floor and one hand awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"No, it's – it's fine," Rogue said, desperately trying to keep his voice steady. "What's…what's going on?"

"The, uh, king requested everyone to come to the central square," Gray said, keeping his gaze averted. His own cheeks were pink with embarrassment. "We're heading there now, if you wanna, y'know, come. Unless you're busy. You're probably busy." He turned on his heel and prepared to shut the door when Sting responded.

"We'll be right there."

The square was packed. Every wizard from every guild in the tournament seemed to be here, but to his relief, Rogue didn't see Minerva. Rufus and Jura stood with Dobengal and Earle, all looking unimpressed, but Rogue and Sting kept their distance, remaining bunched in with Fairy Tail.

"Feeling better?" Makarov stood in front of the pair and Rogue nodded at him, shyly.

xxx

"Sorry for-"

Makarov waved away his apology with one hand, smiling.

"No apology necessary, young one," Makarov replied, surveying the group with pride. "Today is a day for celebration! Although I can understand how it must be difficult for the two of you." Neither dragon slayer responded, both preoccupied with what had transpired earlier. Sting clutched Rogue's hand in his and slowly ran his fingers up and down the dark-haired man's palm, eliciting soft gasps from him when he hit a sensitive spot. Makarov smiled knowingly, then turned to the centre of the square.

"Thank you all for coming," boomed a loud voice. It was coming from a short, white-haired man wearing a fur-lined red robe – King Toma! "I hate to spoil the mood after the splendid display of wizardry we saw today, but I'm afraid Fiore's heart may soon be in the claws of a dragon horde."

Gasps and whispers broke out throughout the crowd, and Sting turned to Rogue, puzzled.

"Aren't all the dragons gone?" He whispered, brow furrowed.

"I thought Acnologia was the only one," Makarov muttered to himself. King Toma raised a hand for silence.

"As we speak, a large-scale counterattack is underway at the castle." Almost everyone glanced behind him to the enormous building that towered over Crocus.

"That must be where Natsu is," Sting whispered, and Rogue nodded. He noticed Gray standing in front of them, his fists clenched tightly.

"The Eclipse Cannon," Toma announced, his words booming, "Will be used to wipe out the attacking dragons." The crowd burst into a cacophony of questions.

"How is that even possible?" Rogue said, puzzled. "Is there really a weapon that can repel that many dragons? They're nearly impossible to defeat." Sting squeezed his hand, remembering Weisslogia and knowing that Rogue was thinking of Skiadrum.

"I can sense your concern," Toma continued, hands raised. "Given the number of dragons, we expect some to survive the attack. So I implore you guild wizards, please lend Fiore your assistance in dealing with this crisis. You are the best hope we have for slaying any dragons the Eclipse cannot. I beg of you, don't let this kingdom fall into ruin." By the end of his speech, the king was crying, head bowed, tears dripping down his nose.

An eerie silence fell over the crowd, and Sting looked around. Everyone's faces were pensive, and some people whispered nervously to each other.

Suddenly, a cheer broke out across the crowd, wizards throwing their arms up as they shouted.

"Of course we'll help!"

"You can count on us!"

"It's our duty to protect the kingdom!"

Rogue grinned at Sting and raised their entwined hands, joining in with the cheering.

"Dragons versus Dragon Slayers!" Sting shouted over the din, and Rogue smiled. "You ready to show those flying lizards what's what?"


	12. Chapter 12

It was too quiet. The air was thick with tension, and Sting paced uncomfortably. Makarov had ordered Fairy Tail to remain in the centre plaza while the rest of the guild spread out through the city and evacuated the townspeople, and now everyone was waiting nervously for news from the castle. It had been several hours, and nothing had happened yet.

"I'm not sure that moon is a good omen," Sting heard Freed say quietly. He glanced up at the blood-red sphere, unable to suppress the shiver that ran down his back. Prickles ran up and down his arms and he restrained himself from scratching at them.

Rogue sat on the ground next to the fountain, letting Porlyusica push a new round of healing magic through him. Sting chewed his lip. As much as he was excited to put their dragon-slaying powers to the test, he worried about Rogue. That blast to the chest had been a serious wound, and Sting still felt guilty about it. It was hard to believe that only twenty-four hours had passed since he had killed Jiemma.

He had KILLED Jiemma. It hadn't had time to sink in yet – so far he'd managed to keep the thoughts and memories at bay, but standing here like this, just waiting, brought everything to the surface. He felt his stomach heaving and considered going somewhere private to throw up.

"So, have you _actually_ killed a dragon before?" Sting started, turning to see Gray leaning against the wall nearby and giving him an odd look. He had obviously recovered from walking in on them earlier. "I mean, Natsu and Gajeel and Wendy were _raised_ by dragons, but they never killed one before. Doesn't that give you an edge?"

Sting dropped his gaze to the ground, rubbing his temples. The lie he had told for so many years was finally catching up to him.

"It's…not quite like that," he admitted.

 _"Sting, please." The giant dragon loomed over the young boy who stared up with tears in his eyes. "You have to end my life."_

 _"I can't do that," young Sting sobbed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Please, don't make me."_

 _"A dragon slayer's magic grows stronger once they have bathed in a dragon's blood." Weisslogia's voice was deep but gentle, and he reached out a massive claw toward the crying boy. Sting flung himself toward the dragon, pressing himself into the cold scales and sniffling._

 _"NO!" He shouted, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna do it!"_

 _"Sting, you must," Weisslogia said softly. "You must prove you have mastered the skills I have taught you…"_

The memory faded and Sting shook his head, feeling a deep ache in his chest. He was about to answer when he heard Rogue's voice.

"They were sick," he said softly. "We merely helped end their suffering." Sting thanked Rogue with a silent gesture, and the shadow slayer smiled at him fondly.

"Juvia is sorry for you." The water mage, never far from Gray, looked at Sting with wide blue eyes. "Losing someone loved is never easy." Sting gave her a half-smile, touched by her concern, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His skin still crawled and he tapped his fingers restlessly against his palm.

He took a deep breath and paced away again, this time moving farther from the group. His heart was pounding, and he couldn't figure out why. So much was going through his head, and he felt like he was going to explode. Looking back at the group, he felt a pang of something he couldn't identify. Sorrow? Jealousy? Fear? Why couldn't he identify the emotion?

Spinning on his heel toward the garden, he moved farther into the maze of hedges. He could feel his chest tightening, and he shuddered as his pulse continued to race. He stared up at the moon, transfixed by the color. Red. Blood red. A shock went through his body and he glanced down at his hands, somehow expecting them to be covered in Rogue's blood again. But that was yesterday. What was happening to him?

Sting rubbed his hands together, startled to find that they were tingling. He reached out to touch the hedge leaves and they were solid under his fingers, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't really there. What the hell was going on? He shook his head, trying to clear out the strange feeling, but it wouldn't go away. Everything was fuzzy. The ground under him seemed to sway and he stumbled backward, tripping and falling into someone.

"Hey, you okay?" The person in front of him was familiar, somehow, but Sting couldn't place them. He shook his head, staring again at his hands. Why didn't they feel real? Why didn't he feel real?

"Sting." The figure in front of him crouched down – when had he fallen? "Sting, look at me." Trying to calm his breathing, Sting listened to the voice. Blonde hair. Tall. Scar through his eye. Why couldn't he remember? "Sting, it's Laxus. I'm gonna touch your arm, okay?" When Sting didn't respond, Laxus repeated the question and was rewarded with a shaky nod.

Laxus reached out and grasped the frightened boy, knowing Sting would flinch and keeping his touch light and gentle. Sting shuddered, breathing heavily, and Laxus moved to sit next to him on the pathway.

"What can you see around you?" Laxus asked softly, squeezing Sting's arm. "Tell me what you see."

Sting took a deep breath, looking around him desperately.

"Flowers," he gasped. Laxus nodded. "Uh, the moon. It's red." Another nod. "Grass…rocks…the fountain…" Each thing he named brought his heart rate down, and slowed his breathing a bit.

"Good. Now what can you hear?" Sting swallowed, then closed his eyes and listened.

"People talking," he said shakily. "Cana seems…to be challenging someone to a drinking contest." Laxus snorted. "Wind. Your heartbeat." Sting opened his eyes, then ran a hand over his face. The pounding in his chest had stopped, and he was able to breathe normally again. "What…what the hell happened?"

"You're alright, you just freaked out a bit." Laxus replied, leaning back to look at him.

"I didn't feel…real…" Sting said quietly, and Laxus nodded.

"I know. That's why you gotta focus on what IS real. What you see, what you smell, y'know." He looked slightly embarrassed to be discussing this.

"How do you-"

"Have you _met_ my dad?" Laxus grumbled, not meeting Sting's gaze. Sting recalled the fight between Ivan and Laxus, how the man had been willing to kill his own son. He nodded in understanding.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Laxus shrugged.

"You good?" Sting nodded and Laxus rose to his feet, reaching out a hand to Sting and helping the younger dragon slayer to his feet. Sting felt slightly light-headed, but thankfully the rest of the world seemed solid.

Suddenly, a roar tore through the air, and both men clapped their hands over their ears, staring at each other in disbelief. It shook the ground around them, and Sting could feel his jaw shaking from the sound. When it was quiet again, they sprinted back to the group.

"Rogue!" Sting dropped down on one knee beside the shadow slayer, who was looking toward the castle with wide eyes.

"Sting, was that a-"

A second roar split the air, followed by terrified screaming. An enormous crash came from the direction of the palace, and Sting could see a line of destruction plough through the city. Buildings crumbled, and giant pieces of rock and rubble flew through the air.

"Where did that blast come from?" Erza leaped onto the fountain, still heavily bandaged, and surveyed the scene. The entire guild erupted into a clamor, and Sting had to shout to be heard above the din.

"THEY'RE HERE!" His voice was hoarse, but Erza heard him and nodded in acknowledgement. The ground began to shake rhythmically, and Sting grabbed onto Rogue's shoulder for stability. In the distance, he could see an enormous, flaming something moving out from the gate. "Why are they coming from the gate?"

"Everyone, spread out!" Makarov's voice broke out over the din and the guild immediately turned to him. "If we bunch together we risk being wiped out all at once!" Everyone began to move away from the centre of the square, staggering as the ground shuddered and covering their ears at the intermittent roars.

Sting pulled Rogue to his feet and grasped his hand tightly, following Gray and Juvia. He could hear crashing and bellowing behind them, and a deep, primal fear lit in the center of his stomach. What if they couldn't do this? What if they couldn't defeat the dragons? His gaze flicked over to Rogue, whose face was set in determination. Sting felt some of the fear abate – he had Rogue by his side, and everything would be all right.


	13. Chapter 13

Everything was definitely _not_ all right.

"I AM THE DRAGON ATLAS FLAME!" Sting stared up at the beast, speechless. An entire dragon, made of flames? And it was _enormous_. Was Weisslogia really this big? The fear was back, and in a big way. He was glad that they had convinced Frosch and Lector to hide back at the guild inn. Hopefully it was still in one piece.

"I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU THE FLAMES OF HELL!" A blast of fire shot from Atlas Flame's gaping maw, exploding in front of them and knocking everyone back. Sting threw himself in front of Rogue, protecting him from most of the blast, and landed on top of him. Everyone around him was coughing or crying out in pain, and he reached down to touch Rogue's face, checking him for injuries.

"You okay?" Rogue nodded, dazed, and let Sting help him to his feet. Sting looked down at his side and winced at the burn marks there. Rogue reached out a gentle hand, fingers barely touching Sting's skin, hand trembling with a mix of exhaustion, fear and awe.

Another blast of fire hit the ground next to them, tossing them both backward into a solid stone wall. Sting cried out in pain, breathing heavily. How were they supposed to stop this thing?

"SHADOW DRAGON'S ROAR!" Sting's gaze snapped up to see Rogue, merely a blurry outline in front of the wall of fire, exhaling a burst of shadows toward the dragon. Then Rogue began to run, the shadows sliding up his arms as he sprinted through the debris toward the beast's feet.

"Rogue!" Sting shouted, staggering to his feet, but his friend was too far away to hear him.

"Follow Rogue's lead!" Makarov was standing nearby, and Sting could see the rest of Fairy Tail swaying unsteadily around their master. "Aim for its feet! We have to take this thing down!" Shouts rang out throughout the crowd, and they charged. Ice blades sprung from Gray's elbows as he ran, while Juvia followed close behind, water floating around her hands. Laxus roared as lighting ran up and down his arms, and Gajeel's flesh began to harden into iron scales.

A strange feeling began to well up in Sting's chest, and he could feel tears catching in his throat. What was this feeling? He looked back to Rogue and could see the dark-haired slayer moving in and out of the shadows, slashing at the dragon and then disappearing again. Sting smiled – it was pride. Pride in Rogue, pride in these new people who let him in, and let him fight by their side.

"Ready?" Sting turned to see Makarov looking up at him, smiling gently, and Sting wiped his face, nodding. He clenched his fists and white flames sprang up around his body, filling him with a sense of comfort and stoking his fury.

He raced at the dragon, his fist encased in white light, and dodged under Juvia and Gray's Unison Raid, which seemed to bounce off the flame dragon with no effect. He could hear Rogue shouting somewhere near him, and he snarled, bringing his fingers together in front of him and generating a ball of holy light between his palms.

"Holy Ray!" He shouted. Extending his hands, he pushed the sphere in front of him, beams of white light flying out to pummel Atlas Flame's soft underbelly. The dragon roared in discomfort, but Sting could see that it hadn't taken any significant damage. It reared its head back and opened its mouth wide for another breath attack. "LOOK OUT!" Sting yelled, grabbing whoever was closest to him and slamming them to the ground as another blast of fire scorched the ground beside them, roaring through the street and catching a few Fairy Tail members by surprise.

"There's seriously SIX of these things?" He heard Gajeel shout over the noise. The iron dragon slayer was standing to his left, breathing heavily and waving dust out of his face.

"Look up!" Someone shouted, and they all peered into the sky, seeing one of the dragons in flight above the city. It was larger than the rest, and someone appeared be…riding it? A sudden flash of familiar flames on the dragon's back had Sting rolling his eyes. _Natsu_.

"Looks like that idiot managed to make it up there," he said, and Gajeel burst out laughing, only to be interrupted by a flaming wing coming down above his head.

"Everyone! Back into position!" Erza's commanding voice could be heard over the din, and Sting could see her, wrapped in bandages and leaning on her crutch, motioning for the other guild members to get behind her.

"Everyone okay?" Freed pushed himself up from under Sting's arm, and Sting scrambled to his feet, helping the rune mage to do the same. "Thanks for the save." Freed's hair was singed and blown back, and Sting marveled at the inky blackness of the eye that Freed usually kept hidden. He had generally thought of Freed as mild-mannered, but the man was anything but right now. He gripped the hilt of his sword and turned back to face the dragon.

"You have been hit by my flames and still live?" Atlas Flame's voice sounded less menacing and more curious, and everyone turned to look at him.

"INDEED!" Makarov's voice thundered behind them, and Sting turned to see the tiny guild master standing in the center of the demolished street, feet planted and eyebrows furrowed. He snarled and yellow light began to erupt around him, not unlike Sting's own White Drive.

"What is he doing?" A hand on his shoulder turned out to be Rogue, and Sting was so relieved that he grabbed the shadow dragon slayer around the waist and buried his face in his neck.

"I'm glad you're alright," he mumbled, words muffled by Rogue's tunic. He felt Rogue place a quick kiss on the top of his head, and then the two boys turned to watch Makarov. Sting's jaw dropped.

"How can he – he's ENORMOUS!" Makarov had grown quickly, body still encased in yellow light, and he was now almost as tall as Atlas Flame. Murmurs of awe filled the crowd around them.

"Get away from my FAMILY!" Makarov bellowed, beginning to run toward the dragon with enormous footsteps. His fist crashed into the dragon's face and the impact sent a shockwave backward. Sting clutched Rogue to him tightly, raising an arm to shield his face from the debris flying through the street.

"Did it work?" A young boy nearby called out, and everyone looked up at the dragon uneasily. Its fire began to wind up Makarov's arm, and the giant man stumbled backward, crying out in pain.

"No matter how much power you possess," Atlas Flame snarled, "You cannot beat a dragon." It then reared up on its hind legs and began to roar, blasting Makarov and all of Fairy Tail with its fire.

"Move!" Sting shouted, pushing Rogue behind some rubble and grabbing Freed and Bickslow, who were standing next to him. He managed to pull all of them down where it was slightly more protected as the fire raged through the street. Sting buried his head in his arms, the heat stinging his eyes and making him cough.

Screams could be heard throughout the cloud of ash and rubble. Small fires still roared where wooden carts once stood. Sting's heart was beating so fast, he felt like he might be sick. How could they win this? How could they defeat this thing?

"Sting." A soft voice, then a hand in his. Rogue squeezed tightly, then leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips, a desperate kiss that felt too much like goodbye. He gripped Rogue's hands tighter, then they both stood and turned to face the dragon.

An enormous explosion rocked the sky, and everyone looked up to take in the blast atop Motherglare. The dragon roared in pain, writhing back and forth as magical flames licked her body.

"Did Natsu just-" Sting stared in amazement, then clapped his hands over his ears as a booming voice rang out over the city.

"DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC CAN TAKE DOWN THE DRAGONS!" Natsu's voice bellowed from up in the sky. "We've got seven dragon slayers and seven dragons!" Rogue's eyes widened and he turned to look at Sting. "Our magic exists for this very day! Dragon Slayers exist to fight this very battle!" A swell of pride filled Sting's chest, as he looked around at the guild. They were staring hopefully at him and the other slayers, and instead of feeling terrified by their gaze, he felt…proud. Proud of his power, of his heritage, of his magic. "LET'S GO DRAGON HUNTING!"

Another explosion rocked Motherglare, fire flying upward hundreds of feet and whipping around the beast. Sting raised his and Rogue's entwined hands in the air and shouted back, even though he knew Natsu couldn't hear.

"Let's take them down!" Laxus and Gajeel looked to him, both grinning as well. He could sense their elation, their hope. They could do this.

A sudden crash behind him brought Sting out of his euphoria, and he turned to see a white, oval object resting on the ground, surrounded by a cloud of dust from the impact.

"Are those eggs?" A short, white haired girl asked timidly, backing away from the one closest to her. Sting looked up and saw that they had come from Motherglare – some were still rocketing down from the underbelly of the dragon. _Fuck_ , he thought, as one began to hatch.

A flash of lightning cut through the air, arcing from Laxus' outstretched hand and crashing into Atlas Flame. The fire dragon snarled.

"Move," Laxus said, voice hard. "I'll take this one." He slammed his fist into his palm and lighting raced around him, casting him in a frightening silhouette. "The rest of you do something about the eggs."

"We've got your back, Laxus," Freed said, moving to stand next to the blonde-haired man. A fond look passed between them. Evergreen and Bickslow made their way over to the duo, and Sting thought they cut quite the impressive sight – surrounded by lightning, backlit by flames.

"I got that one over there," Gajeel grunted, motioning to a form just north of their position. "You two head that way." He looked at Sting and Rogue and gestured to the south, where Sting could see two massive forms looming over the building.

"Got it," Rogue said, grabbing Sting's hand and breaking into a run.

The city would have been a mess of winding pathways if it hadn't been reduced almost entirely to rubble. The two dragon slayers sprinted through the destruction, heading for the outlines of the dragon ahead of them. Sting felt a thrill in his stomach – he was going to be useful. He was going to help. He was going to save people, and maybe start to make up for the horrible things he had done in the past.

He slammed to a stop when he saw who was fighting the dragon directly ahead of them. Orga and Rufus all stood in front of it, each badly injured. Orga's arm was hanging at an odd angle and Rufus was bleeding heavily from his side, but they both had looks of determination on their faces. Anger and betrayal rose in his stomach, desperately fighting against the elation and hope he had been feeling.

"I've got this one," Rogue whispered in Sting's ear, grabbing his hand and bringing it to his lips. "I'll be okay." Sting shook his head.

"I have to deal with this at some point," he replied, pressing his forehead to Rogue's and then kissing the tip of the shorter man's nose. "Go. Get that other one and bring it here. We'll fight them together." Rogue smiled and ran a hand through Sting's hair, then pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Back before you know it," he whispered, then ran off into the shadows.


	14. Chapter 14

Rogue saw the dragon's wing coming at him a second too late and took the hit directly in the chest. It threw him across the street and into a building, bringing down a chunk of rubble that barely missed his head. He coughed, struggling to his feet and wiping blood from his mouth.

"ROGUE!" Sting was desperately attacking behind Scissor Runner's head, the dragon roaring angrily at him. "You okay?"

"I'll live!" Rogue called up to him, turning to face Levia once again. The dragon's face was impassive, and Rogue sighed in frustration. Their attacks had some effect, but these things were tough.

"Rogue, why do you fight me?" Levia's voice was deep, and echoed uncomfortably in Rogue's ears. "You're the only one who will survive in this wor-"

"World of despair, I heard you the first time," Rogue growled. "I'm not becoming your king". He watched Sting slide down Scissor Runner's neck and beckon to him. Sting had found him, kneeling in the street in front of Levia and arguing with his shadow, and instead of running away he had smiled brightly at his friend and pulled him to his feet.

"Accept it. There is darkness in your heart." Rogue's chest tightened. He knew that his shadow talking to him was probably _not_ the most normal thing ever, but he knew that he would never do something like this. Would he?

"EVERYONE has darkness in their heart." Rogue snarled, dodging between Levia's legs until he was next to Sting and standing back to back with his friend, holding his hand tightly.

 _As long as he's with me_ , Rogue thought, looking fondly at Sting out of the corner of his eye, _everything will be okay_. He intensely ignored the part of him that whispered that Sting would have to kill him if he gave in to the darkness.

 _Sting, Rogue, you there?_ Natsu's voice echoed around them, and both dragon slayers looked up, confused.

"Natsu?" Rogue asked.

 _Max is letting me talk to you telepathically. Get to the fountain, we have a new plan._

"What do we do with the dragons?" Sting yelled, tugging on Rogue's hand and darting across the street.

"We will keep them busy. Go." Sting turned sharply to see a wounded Erza being supported by a blue-haired man with a strange tattoo over his eye. Erza pushed herself off of the man and grabbed her sword with both hands, levelling it at Scissor Runner.

"But you're inj-" Sting began to protest, but the man interrupted him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Go. We can handle this. If Natsu found something to help end this, it will be worth it." Sting nodded and turned to Rogue, who was staring at Erza. Suddenly, Rogue ran up and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. She looked startled for a second, then smiled softly at him, placing a hand on his hair.

"Thank you," he whispered, and she knew that he was talking about Minerva. "Thank you."

"Thank me when we're not about to be eaten by a dragon," she said kindly, and he let go of her, smiling and turning to Sting.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing Sting's hand, and the two dragon slayers ran toward the gardens.

"We have to hold hands?" Gajeel grumbled as a young, blue-haired mage pushed his shirt aside and began to write letters on his chest. She had been quickly introduced to Sting and Rogue as Levy.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she replied, writing faster than Rogue could see. She turned to look at him, continuing to write. "You're next, take off your shirt." Rogue's stomach dropped and he swallowed heavily, but a gentle hand on his back brought him back to reality. He smiled at Sting and began to shed his tunic.

"So who gets to be the super dragon slayer?" Natsu asked, already shirtless with glowing magic script written across his chest. He sat on the ground against Gray's legs, who was straining to hold an ice barrier around the group of mages.

Natsu had called the seven dragon slayers together after he had been thrown from Motherglare's back, fortuitously running into Freed and Levy. Or rather, landing on Freed and Levy.

"The spell decides," replied Freed, who was busy putting the script on Laxus' chest and doing a terrible job at suppressing the blush in his cheeks. "We didn't have a lot of time to research it so some parts are still rather…nebulous." Cobra scowled at that, but didn't say anything. Rogue wasn't sure what to make of the poison dragon slayer. He smelled strange, like dead leaves, but he didn't seem evil.

"What will the rest of us do once the spell is complete?" Wendy asked timidly. Levy finished up the script on Gajeel's chest, then looked at him fondly before moving on to Rogue.

"You should still be able to fight, but a portion of your magic power will be transferred into whoever is chosen by the spell," she replied, reaching out to touch Rogue's chest and noting his flinch. Sting moved to stand behind him, wrapping his arms around Rogue's waist and resting his head in the dark hair. Rogue tried to still his breathing as Levy began to write.

"So, whoever it is should go after Future…me, I guess?" Rogue asked softly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that a future version of himself was wreaking all this havoc. Levia's words hung heavily in his chest, but when Sting had looked at him with that expression of complete trust, he had felt them burning away.

"If you take him out, then you need to injure Motherglare and get him to crash into the Eclipse Gate," Natsu replied. "But future you is strong. Really strong." Sting noticed Gray glance down at Natsu's side where he had bandaged a rather nasty-looking wound. Wendy had healed it as best she could, but it was still red and raw.

"All done," Levy announced, standing up and nodding at Freed, who was holding his rapier limply in one hand and staring at the ground, exhaustion written all over his face. Everyone pretended to look away as Laxus reached out and gently touched Freed's chin.

"Stay safe," the lightning slayer murmured. Freed blushed an even deeper shade of red and nodded his head.

"You too," he whispered, reaching up to grasp Laxus' hand gently before stepping back.

"Don't die, flame breath," Gray muttered, glancing down at Natsu, who stood up and grasped the ice mage's shoulder.

"You either, ice princess," he replied softly, letting his hand linger a moment before moving away.

Sting, still holding Rogue, squeezed him tightly as they watched Levy plant a kiss on the surprised Gajeel's cheek, while Wendy hugged Charle tightly.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" Cobra muttered, moving to stand near the centre of the ice barrier. Sting kissed Rogue on the cheek, then took his hand and moved to stand next to Cobra. One by one, the other dragon slayers moved into a circle and joined hands, all glancing uncertainly at each other.

Levy and Freed took a step back as the runes on each dragon slayer's chest began to glow different colours, swirling around their bodies and then moving to join in the centre. Natsu gasped as he felt his flames being pulled from him, mingling with poison, lightning, wind, iron, shadows and light. The ball of energy in the centre grew and grew, swirling in a myriad of colours, until it finally split into two smaller spheres. Each swirled around the other for a moment, then both shot down and crashed into Sting and Rogue.

"I did not expect that," Freed murmured, and Levy shook her head, puzzled.

"The spell said it would give the power to one dragon slayer," she replied. "Did we do something wrong?"

Sting and Rogue stared at each other as the energy washed over them, swirling from holy white to shadowy black. They felt a deep pull towards each other, and turned to face each other and grasp each other's hands.

"What the hell is-" Rogue started to say, but was interrupted by Sting's lips crashing into his. He moaned softly and returned the kiss, clutching Sting's hands so tightly it began to hurt. They kissed desperately as the energy swirled around them and through them.

"I love you," Sting whispered, and Rogue's heart skipped. "No matter what happens, I love you, and I always have." Rogue leaned back to look at Sting and saw that his eyes had changed colours – one white and one black. He felt that strange tugging sensation once more, and then everything went dark.


	15. Chapter 15

"Sting? Rogue?" Natsu approached the collapsed form on the ground cautiously, and gasped when he only saw one body. "What the-" The form rolled over, groaning, and put a hand to its head.

It _was_ Sting. And Rogue. The boy's hair was dark but streaked with white, long in the front and wild in the back. His face was a strange amalgam of both boys, with one black eye and one white.

"Natsu?" The voice echoed, a combination of both Sting and Rogue, and the boy stood up slowly, looking at his hands and down at his body. He was shirtless, with glowing white script across his chest, wearing a pair of simple black pants and nothing on his feet.

"That is definitely not what the spell said would happen," Freed said, walking toward the Rogue-Sting hybrid and staring at him quizzically. "But I suppose it makes sense." Everyone stared at him. "Didn't future Rogue absorb Sting's powers?" Natsu nodded, understanding in his eyes.

"So present both of you have to fight future both of you," he said slowly, then grinned. "That's awesome! Go kick your ass!"

Sting-Rogue laughed, then looked down at his hands and flexed them. "I feel…stronger," he said in that strange voice. Then he looked quizzically at his shoulders and made a strange face. Suddenly, a set of leathery dragon's wings extended from his back, reaching up over his shoulders and stretching out several feet on each side. Wendy squeaked and jumped out of the way, almost getting hit by one.

"What? He gets wings?!" Natsu turned to Levy, pouting. "Can I have wings?!" Levy rolled her eyes.

"Could we…y'know, maybe hurry it up?" Gray's voice was strained, and sweat was running down his cheeks as held up the barrier around them. "I can't…much…" His arms dropped to his sides as he fainted, and Natsu managed to dive underneath and catch him before he hit the ground.

"Idiot," he whispered gently, brushing the hair back from Gray's face. Then he looked up at the rest of the group and grinned. "Let's go slay some dragons."

XXXX

Flying was difficult, as was sharing a body. Sting and Rogue could still feel their separate consciousnesses in this new form, but there was a melding into a distinct new personality, which called itself Skiafos. Once he got the hang of the wings, getting up to Motherglare was a quick trip. He landed in a crouch on the dragon's back, relishing the feeling of the wind rushing through his hair.

"Hey!" His dual voice echoed, and Future Rogue whipped around, staring in confusion at the boy in front of him. Skiafos was taken aback by Future Rogue's appearance – darkness and light, split directly down the centre, with a strange tattoo running down one side of his face. The part of Skiafos that was distinctly Rogue felt sick. Had he really killed his friend and taken his powers? "You don't belong here," Skiafos snarled.

"Who the hell are you?" Future Rogue snapped, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Nothing is going to stop me now." He sneered at Skiafos, then a blast of light erupted from the left side of his body, and a blast of dark from the right. "Even Natsu couldn't defeat me in this form." He reached out a hand in front of himself and shouted, "White Shadow Dragon's Rough Silk!" Thin beams of light and shadows intermingled and flew through the air toward Skiafos.

Future Rogue gaped as Skiafos easily dodged the attack, catching some of the beams and absorbing them into his skin. Skiafos grinned as a blast of energy swirled around his own body, white and dark mingling together and causing his hair to fly up around him.

"How could you possibly-" Future Rogue stopped himself and stared at Skiafos intently, surprise evident on his face. "Me? And…Sting?"

"I am both Rogue AND Sting, but neither," Skiafos shouted, charging toward Future Rogue. "I am Skiafos, and I will destroy you!" To his surprise, instead of light and shadows in his hands, one hand was engulfed in lightning and the other in flames. He laughed gleefully and swung his hands together, and a vortex of fiery lightning formed in front of him and blasted towards Future Rogue. "Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"

Future Rogue looked stunned and tried to dodge the attack, but cried out as it clipped his leg, pushing him backward and almost knocking him off Motherglare. He regained his balance and snarled, forming a swirling blade from the shadows and launching it at Skiafos. "Shadow Dragon's Blade!"

"Ile Amor!" Skiafos yelled, suddenly surrounded by a windy barrier that deflected the weapon. He leaped into the air, arms glowing red, and began to fling scale-shaped projectiles at Future Rogue. "Poison Dragon's Scales!"

"Who ARE you?" Future Rogue's face contorted in anger. "How did you get this magic?"

Skiafos ignored the question and disappeared into the shadows, swirling along Motherglare and appearing at Future Rogue's feet as a beam of light, throwing him backward. "White Shadow Dragon's Sword Horn!"

"How?" Future Rogue howled, trying desperately to shove Skiafos off of him. "I should be immune-"

"You are," Skiafos replied, staring down at the time traveller. "Separately. It's true that you have mastered both light and shadows, but you took it by force." He slammed a fist down into Future Rogue, who barely blocked it with his arm. "Things that are taken by force are never pure. True strength comes from what has been freely given!" Another fist, this time barely missing Future Rogue's head and crashing into the back of Motherglare who howled in pain.

Future Rogue kicked Skiafos in the shin and rolled quickly out of the way, then stood, shooting beams of light and shadow at Skiafos. The hybrid dragon slayer dodged the blasts and absorbed them easily.

"I had to be strong!" Future Rogue screamed, firing a giant blast with both hands that Skiafos caught, letting it push him backwards a few feet and then tossing it aside. "Only the strong survive, HE taught us that!" He panted heavily, leaning forward. The wind whipped around the two boys, and Skiafos could hear the battle raging on below. He needed to end this quickly.

"He was wrong!" Skiafos shouted over the roar of the wind, smashing another fist into Motherglare's back after glancing down at the city, trying to time the crash. "We left! We found a new family!" Future Rogue's face was a mix of fury and despair.

"There was no escaping!" He cried. "Just pain, and pain, and pain. And I had to be strong, and I couldn't escape the shadows…" He dropped to his knees and tore at his hair, eyes wide and teeth clenched. "I had to be strong..."

Skiafos approached Future Rogue, dropping to one knee and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Strong enough to stop _her_?" He asked softly. Future Rogue stiffened and slapped Skiafos' hand away.

"Shut UP." His voice was low and dangerous.

"She's gone. Our new friends, they defeated her. We're safe now, with people who love us and care about us." He reached out again for Future Rogue's arm.

"There is no LOVE for me!" Future Rogue sobbed, struggling to stand. "Nothing is more important than being the strongest. I have to, I have to…" his voice trailed off and he stood there, holding his stomach and staring at Skiafos.

"It's okay to be afraid," Skiafos said softly. He took a chance, reaching out and grabbing Future Rogue's shoulders and pulling him into his chest. Future Rogue struggled for a minute, then softened against the other boy's grasp. "It's okay to ask for help, it's okay to not be the strongest." Future Rogue sagged against Skiafos for a moment, then shoved him, hard, and staggered backward.

"I can't," he said quietly. "I'm sorry." He stepped backward and pushed his hands together, forming a swirling ball of energy between them. "I have to destroy you."

Skiadros looked at him sadly, then nodded.

"I'm sorry too," he said in his echoing voice. "But I can't let you do that."

Skiafos held both hands out in front of him, a ball of pulsating white energy in the left hand and black energy in the right. The spheres grew until they were each the size of Skiafos' head, then he slammed his hands together. The light shrunk down and merged together, and he brought the new, multicolored sphere back to his chest, then thrust it outward at Future Rogue.

"Holy Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!" he yelled, releasing the energy in a torrent of blue and white light. The force of the blast pushed him backwards and he planted his feet, struggling to remain standing as the backlash of wind whipped around his body. Future Rogue's face filled with utter disbelief before he dropped his hands in surrender. The beam hit him in the chest and he cried out as it knocked him backward, exploding on impact in a flash or brilliant light. Future Rogue flew backward, slamming into the edge of Motherglare's wing and tumbling to the ground. His body rolled a few times and came to a smoking stop in the centre of the dragon's back.

Skiafos turned and attacked Motherglare again, slamming his fist into the dragon so that he roared and writhed in pain. The city was coming up incredibly fast, but they were headed for the gate, and that was what was important. He could see a crowd around it – Lucy, Wendy, Arcadios and the princess.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Skiafos roared, hoping to hell that they could hear him. There was no stopping this now.

Suddenly, Skiafos felt a tugging sensation in his stomach, and a tingling that ran straight from the top of his head to his toes. A blinding light split through him, and Sting and Rogue fell apart, each dropping to their knees as they shuddered off the effects of the fusion. Sting looked down at the rapidly approaching city, then over to Rogue, who was staring at him intensely.

"Rogue, you –"

"Sting, I –"

Rogue launched himself at Sting, burying his face in the other boy's neck and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Motherglare continued his descent, and Sting could see that they were about to hit the ground. He pulled Rogue to his chest and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"I love you," Rogue whispered into Sting's neck. Then there was a horrible crash, the sound of stones crumbling, and nothing but pain for either of them.


	16. Chapter 16

"FREED!" Laxus leapt from the back of Scissor Runner, lightning trailing from his fingertips, and landed on the ground next to the green-haired mage. He turned back to the dragon, leaning back and hurling a stream of lightning at the beast. "Lightning Dragon's Roar!" The dragon screeched at him, and Laxus helped Freed to his feet as his rune wings faded behind him.

"Laxus," Freed groaned, stumbling and grabbing the lightning slayer's arm to steady himself. He glanced up at the sky, where he could see a fierce battle taking place on Motherglare's back. Fire and lightning clashed with light and shadow, and he had to admit it was an impressive sight. "They'd better hurry up," he muttered, his rapier dangling limply from his hand, "or we're all going to end up dead".

"We're not gonna die, idiot," growled Laxus, pulling Freed toward him and pressing a fierce kiss to his lips. Freed's heart fluttered wildly, and he instinctively ran a hand up through Laxus' hair. The two broke apart, and Laxus forced Freed to look into his eyes. "We're gonna live so we can find out where that takes us."

Freed nodded shakily, then took Laxus' hand in his and turned to face Scissor Runner. Freed took a deep breath as Laxus moved behind him and took both of the smaller man's hands in his.

A spark of energy began to flicker between Laxus' fingers, jumping back and forth between his hands and Freed's. It rapidly took the form of an enormous lightning spear, which began to swirl with purplish runes. Freed's right eye began to gleam as he pushed the last of his power into the attack.

"Unison Raid: Dark Lightning's Heavenward Destruction!" Both men roared as the two magics swirled together, the lightning crackling between purple and gold and moving to surround their bodies as well. Freed could feel Laxus' heard pounding, the tight grip of their hands, Laxus's heavy breathing in his ear. Laxus released Freed's right hand, then hefted the spear over his shoulder and hurled it at the dragon with a primal cry.

The power of the attack knocked both men backward, and the last thing Freed thought before he lost consciousness was that Laxus had kissed him, and he could die happy.

xxxx

Gray skidded backwards across the rubble, grasping his side and breathing heavily. A searing pain ripped down his left side from where the dragon's claws had raked across him. He pressed his hand to the area, and when he took his hand away, it was dark red. "Fuck," he muttered, trying to summon a patch of ice to cover the wound. When the ice immediately melted away, Gray new it was bad. He pressed his hand tightly against the area to try and slow the bleeding.

"You okay?" Natsu shouted from underneath Levia, panting from the blast of fire he had just released into the beast's stomach. It roared and reared up on its back legs, slamming back to the ground as Natsu sprinted over to Gray. "You shouldn't even be out here, you already passed out once."

"Ngnnn," Gray grunted in pain as Natsu grasped his arms and looked at him with concern. Gray shook his head and glanced over Natsu's shoulder at the enormous dragon. In the background, an explosive battle raged between Atlas Flame and another dragon made of rock – Gray still couldn't believe that Natsu had convinced the Flame Dragon to change teams.

"That looks bad," Nastu murmured, trying to pry Gray's hand from his side. Blood bubbled between his fingers and he cried out in pain.

"I'm sorry," Nastu whispered, placing his hand on top of Gray's. "Here, this might help." He unwound his scarf from his neck and began wrapping it around Gray's torso, ignoring the ice mage's protests when the white fabric became stained dark red. Gray would have found it touching if he didn't think he was about to vomit.

Gray looked back at Levia, who had stopped roaring and looked ready to attack again. "Do you think Iced Shell would work on this-" he shouted out in pain as Natsu punched him in the chest, hard, then grabbed his arms again.

"Don't you dare," Natsu hissed, squeezing Gray's arms so hard that Gray was sure he would leave fingerprints. "Don't you fucking dare."

"If it's the only-"

"It's NOT the only way!" Natsu's voice held a strange tone, and Gray was surprised to see tears in the pink-haired slayer's eyes. "It's never going to BE the way, do you understand me?" He shook Gray, who nodded dumbly.

"Why do you-" Natsu interrupted him again, this time with his lips on Gray's. Gray stiffened in surprise, but let out a soft moan as Natsu nipped at his lower lip.

"If you haven't figured out how I feel about you by now, you're a bigger idiot than I thought," Natsu muttered, breaking off the kiss and turning to look back at the dragon. "Now are we gonna kill this thing or what?"

Gray didn't respond, just stood there and stared dumbly at Natsu. Had he…just…what was…

"I don't have much magic power left," Natsu admitted, touching the glowing rune on his chest. "They must be having quite a battle up there." Motherglare hovered over the city, and the two boys could see the flashes of magic coming from his back. Gray stared at Natsu for a minute, feeling the heat from the kiss on his lips, and took a deep breath.

"Take some of my magic," he murmured, and Natsu looked at him, shocked. "I can't fight," Gray motioned to his wound, "but I still have some magic left." Gray moved behind Natsu, placing one hand on his shoulder and keeping the other wrapped around his side. "Take it."

Natsu took a deep breath, feeling a cool tingling coming from Gray's hand that mingled with the heat of his flames. The power flared around him, pushing him into Dragon Force without even thinking about it. Scales began to flow up his arms and face, but instead of the usual reddish colour, they were mixed with icy blue. He closed his eyes and focused on Gray's magic, finding it comforting. After so many battles together, he was almost as familiar with Gray's magic as he was his own. Natsu let it swirl up his back and into his arms, and when it reached his hands he let it mingle with the flames there. Suddenly, a burst of energy surrounded him, and flames whirled around him and Gray, who grunted in pain but continued to push his magic into Natsu.

"Now, Natsu!" Gray shouted, sweat beading down his face from the exertion and the flames. The ice in Natsu's hands began to form into swords that flew up and surrounded him like a barrier. At the same time, the flames surrounding the two mages reached unimaginable levels, and Gray cried out in pain, dropping a hand from Natsu's back.

"I got this, Ice Princess," Natsu said softly, turning back to see Gray kneeling on the ground, his hands singed and burns on his arms and face. "Get back somewhere safe." Gray nodded and struggled back to his feet, then backed behind a broken wall, watching Natsu from around the corner.

"Alright, you bastard!" Natsu shouted, the fire shooting up hundreds of feet in the air and whirling around him. "How about you taste this!" He shot forward like a spear of flame, ice swords surrounding him, multicolored scales glimmering. "Unlimited Crimson Phoenix Blades!" His voice boomed as he crashed into Levia headfirst, and the swords slashed around him, piercing the dragon's thick hide and causing it to roar in pain. Natsu continued to pummel Levia with flaming-ice fists, until his strikes became more and more sluggish.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted, attempting to run forward as Levia retaliated, slamming Natsu to the ground with its giant, scaly foot. Natsu grunted in pain, but managed to push off Levia's foot, causing the dragon to pitch and tumble to the ground. Gray dropped to his knees in exhaustion, then collapsed, feeling a familiar warmth surrounding him as he closed his eyes.

xxxx

"Levy, get out of here!" Gajeel shouted as he slammed an iron club into the dark dragon's hide, growling angrily as it retaliated and he barely dodged a wing. Levy stood on the ruins of a building nearby, frantically drawing runes in the air.

"Solid Script: Thunder!" She shouted, forming bolts of lightning and flinging them at the dragon. Gajeel charged in again, his right arm formed into a sword, and stabbed at the beast's heart. It roared in anger, smashing Gajeel backward.

"Hurry up, you two," he grumbled, pulling himself to his feet and brushing rubble from his shoulders as he looked at the raging battle in the sky. "We're not gonna last much longer down here."

"Solid Script: Guard!" Levy's voice sounded frantic, and he looked over to see her surrounded by a shimmering barrier that was being battered by the dragon's breath.

"Levy!" He shouted, racing over and tackling her, then rolling behind the building and covering her as the blaze continued over his head. "What do you think you're doing?" He growled, pulling her up and running his hands over her, checking for wounds. "Are you hurt?" To his surprise, she slapped his hand away.

"I can take care of myself," she insisted, standing and glaring at him. "I am a Fairy Tail wizard too, if you hadn't noticed."

"And that's a DRAGON," Gajeel roared, "If YOU hadn't noticed. I'm a dragon slayer, you ain't." Levy folded her arms in frustration and huffed.

"I don't want you to get hurt," she muttered, refusing to meet Gajeel's eyes. He sighed.

"I know," he replied, grabbing her hands and pulling her into an embrace. "But I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt, shrimp." He planted a brief kiss on the top of her head, then leaned back and looked into her face. "Now, make me a-"

"Gajeel Redfox, if you tell me to make you a sandwich I will kill you myself," Levy threatened. He grinned, and she rolled her eyes, then reached out and drew in the air in front of her. "Solid Script: IRON!" Just as the last time, the "o" of the solid block of metal appeared with a heart in the centre, and she blushed.

Gajeel grabbed the side of the words and began to chew heartily, tearing through the metal like it was nothing. Several seconds later it was gone, and he patted his stomach.

"Much better," he rumbled, grinning at Levy. "Now get outta here, shrimp. Help clear out the town. I'll see you when all this is over." Levy looked despondent and he grabbed her hand briefly, then turned back toward the dragon.

Dark energy began to flare around him, and Levy stepped back, glancing at him one last time and then turning and fleeing back into the town. Gajeel growled, scales springing to life along his arms as he leaped onto the building and raced toward the dragon. He clapped his hands above his head, grinning as it flickered and roared before transforming into a giant iron sword.

"Karma Demon: Iron Sword God!" He roared, slamming the weapon down on the dragon and creating an enormous explosion that knocked him back through several buildings. The dragon roared in pain, and Gajeel grinned. The last thing he saw before unconsciousness was a flash of blue hair speeding away down the street behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

"Fast winds that run the heaven…VERNIER!" Charle struggled under Wendy's weight as the tiny dragon slayer cast the enchantment on Mirajane, who was still in her Satan Soul form. Mirajane laughed at the speed boost the spell gave her, then slammed back down into Zirconis, trailing flames across his body. Below them, Lucy and Yukino stood helplessly on the ground, their golden keys spent.

"Wendy, you have to rest!" Charle admonished as the blue-haired girl gasped for breath.

"No! I am a Fairy Tail wizard and a Dragon Slayer!" Wendy argued, pointing a hand at Mirajane again. "Ile Arms!" She shouted, and power whirled around the demonic form.

Zirconis roared as Mirajane pounded into him, but she was surprised when he turned and bashed her with a wing, throwing her to the ground. The impact knocked her out of Satan Soul, and she lay there, breathing heavily.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled, exhaling a blast of wind magic at Zirconis, who brushed off the attack and laughed, knocking Charle aside and grasping Wendy in his claws, then heading for the ground.

"Charle!" Wendy shouted, seeing Lucy and Yukino run over to the injured Exceed.

"You are tenacious, little slayer," Zirconis chuckled, landing in front of the gate. "But you won't get me that – what is that?" The dragon stared down at the runes drawn across Wendy's chest, pulsing and glowing on her skin in time to the battle raging in the sky.

"It's a magic that is going to defeat you!" She shouted, struggling against his grasp. Zirconis laughed, but Wendy could see doubt on his face. "It's going to send you back to where you bel-"

"GET OUT THE WAY!" The strange, echoey voice of the Rogue-Sting combo came from above them, and everyone looked up to see Motherglare's enormous figure on a trajectory for the gate. Rogue-Sting looked terrified, then grabbed his head and collapsed on the dragon's back.

"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy yelled, taking advantage of Zirconis' distraction and slipping out of his grasp. He barely winced at the attack; he was too busy watching Motherglare's descent to go after the little slayer. Wendy ran over to Charle and scooped her up into her arms, then turned to the others. "RUN!" She shouted, and they did, Arcadios holding his arms around Princess Hisuie, Lucy pulling Yukino along behind her.

Motherglare hit the ground with a fantastic sound that ripped through the square, destroying any windows that were left with the intensity of its blast. The dragon collapsed and skidded along the ground, smashing directly into the gate and shattering the left column into thousands of pieces. Giant chunks of stone crashed around Motherglare's prone body, leaving craters in the ground. Lucy, Wendy and Yukino ducked behind a piece of rubble while Arcadios used his own body to protect Princess Hisuie from the onslaught.

"Did it work?" Lucy asked, dusting bits of rubble from her hair. She glanced over at Wendy, and gasped as she saw that the runic magic on her chest had faded. "Wendy! Did it work?"

Wendy glanced down and shivered, then shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "Nothing seems to be happ-"

Motherglare's unmoving form on the ground began to shake and shimmer, and the edges of his body grew translucent. Wendy could see a human form struggling to stand on the ground next to the massive dragon.

"Is that-" Lucy began to ask, but then gasped. "Rogue. From the future."

The man swayed unsteadily on his feet, long white hair tangled and full of dirt. His clothing was shredded and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle by his side. Blood trickled from a cut on his face, and he wiped his face with his good hand.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?!" He turned back to the dragon, screaming at someone that the others couldn't see. "YOU ARE NOTHING!" He looked up at the broken gate and at Motherglare's flickering body, then dropped to his knees again.

"Who is he talking to?" Lucy whispered, crouching next to Wendy who was peering out over the rubble.

"Probably Sting-Rogue from our time," Wendy replied. "Why isn't he fading like the dragons?" Lucy looked up at Zirconis and saw that Wendy was right, both him and Motherglare were becoming more and more incorporeal with each second. But Future Rogue remained solid, albeit badly wounded.

"The dragons might be gone, but you can't get rid of me." Future Rogue began to laugh – a deep, unnerving sound that made the hairs on Lucy's arms stand on end. "I'm YOU! I AM WHAT YOU BECOME!"

Suddenly, Future Rogue jerked forward onto his hands and knees, and Lucy saw that he had, in fact, started to shimmer as well.

"WHAT?!" He roared, sitting up and staring, horrified, at his hands that were disappearing. "IMPOSSIBLE!" Raising his hands to his head, he began to tear at his hair, eyes wide and panicking. Suddenly, his face stilled, and an expression of understanding passed over it. "Then that means…"

"YOU BASTARD!" Another voice, more familiar, pierced through the air, and Lucy recognized it as Sting. The man stumbled over from the other side of the dragon, holding something in his arms. Tears coursed down his face, and he placed whatever it was reverently on the ground before storming up to Future Rogue and slamming a fist into the man's face. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD. HOW DARE YOU?!"

Future Rogue's head snapped backward from the blow, but his focus was still on his rapidly disappearing body. Zirconis had almost entirely faded, and the only thing left of Motherglare was his tail. Lucy glanced behind her and saw the other dragons in the city slowly disappearing as well. She heard Natsu's voice from afar shouting, "See ya, Uncle!", and the cheers of the villagers from the hills as they watched the monsters disappear.

"WHY?!" Sting roared as Lucy turned her attention back to the scene in front of her. Another fist, this time wreathed in holy flame, slammed into Future Rogue's stomach, throwing him backward. Sting staggered, ignoring the blood pouring from a wound on his head, and flung himself on top of the man, slamming his fists into the fading figure over and over again.

"Sting…" Wendy murmured, placing her hands over her mouth. "Where's…Rogue…" Her voice trailed off as her gaze was drawn to the unmoving figure that Sting had placed on the ground.

"No…" Lucy whispered, gasping. Arcadios looked stunned, and Yukino let out a choked sob. "Wait, Wendy!"

Wendy had leapt to her feet and dashed out across the square, dodging pieces of flaming rubble until she was kneeling at Rogue's side. She choked out a sob. The right side of his head had clearly taken a heavy blow – the shape of it didn't look quite right and the ground around his ear was thick with blood. His body was battered, and a shard of something jagged appeared to be protruding from his stomach.

Wendy stilled her breathing and placed her hands on Rogue's chest, calling on any remaining magic reserves she might have to heal him. Nothing happened and she groaned in frustration, until she ran a hand along Rogue's neck and realized that her magic wasn't the reason it wasn't working.

"You KILLED him!" Sting sobbed, grasping Future Rogue's tunic and pulling him up, then slamming back down into the ground. "You killed him…" He whispered, tears streaming down his face.

"No..." Yukino whispered, hearing Sting's words and seeing Wendy's devastated expression. Lucy's eyes filled with tears and she pulled herself to her feet, stumbling backwards into something solid – Natsu. He was practically carrying Gray, who was bleeding heavily and looked like he might pass out at any second.

"Natsu, Rogue is…"

"What's going on?" Gajeel's deep voice broke in, and Lucy looked up, realizing that everyone was slowly converging on the square. Laxus was carrying an unconscious Freed in his arms as Evergreen and Bickslow limped behind him. Levy clung to Gajeel's arm, blood trickling down her forehead. The Trimen had collapsed to the ground, Ichiya standing over them, and Lyon and Juvia both looked like they were on the verge of collapse. Even the remaining members of Sabertooth were on the outskirts of the square, Rufus looking stricken. More and more wizards moved in from the surrounding streets, all damaged and bloody and broken.

"Lucy, what's wr-" Natsu gasped as he saw Sting swing a final, feeble fist at Future Rogue, then lean forward on his arms, sobbing. Future Rogue's body finally disintegrated, turning into tiny bits of light that hovered around Sting's face and whispered, I'm so sorry, before disappearing into the night.

Natsu tightened his grip on Gray, squeezing the ice mage's hand and reaching out his other hand to Lucy. Gajeel wrapped an arm protectively around Levy, and Lucy saw Laxus hold Freed tighter against his chest. Everyone was deathly silent, as if the entire city was holding its breath.

Sting dragged himself to his feet and staggered over to Rogue, staring desperately at Wendy. She shook her head sadly, tears running down her cheeks, and Sting collapsed, burying his face in Rogue's tunic.

"Come back to me, love," he whispered, sobbing into the bloody, tattered fabric. "You can't leave me." He grasped Rogue's face in both hands and placed a desperate kiss to his cold forehead. "I love you," he choked out. "We were going to make a new life together." He pulled Rogue's body closer to him and cradled him in his lap, shaking hands stroking the dark, matted hair. "We found a new family. We were going to be together." His chest felt so heavy he could barely breathe, and he threw his head back, a wounded scream ripping from his throat. "ROGUE!"


	18. Chapter 18

The entire city was silent, save for Sting's mournful sobs. Natsu's heart wrenched – he had never heard anyone cry like this. It was a primal, aching sound that made him clutch Gray even closer.

Letting go of Lucy's hand, Natsu stumbled forward, pulling Gray with him, looking up every so often to make sure the ice mage was still breathing. He knew Gray was badly injured, but at least he was still alive.

Natsu collapsed next to Sting, reaching out to touch the grieving boy's shoulder. Sting jerked away from him and looked up, eyes wide and red, tears streaming down his face. He clutched Rogue's body – _his body, it was his body and not Rogue himself_ – and shied away from Natsu's hand.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed wildly, attempting to scramble backward but failing, falling hard and letting out a loud sob. Natsu could see that Rogue's head wound had been deep, and something must have fallen on him – his tunic was soaked in so much blood. The smell assaulted Natsu's nose and he suppressed a gag.

"Sting," he whispered, reaching out again only to have his hand batted away.

"Leave me ALONE!" Trembling hands clutched at Rogue's clothing, touched Rogue's face reverently. Sting ran a hand down the side of the dark-haired boy's face, then leaned down and pressed his forehead to Rogue's cold one. "Please," he begged, pressing kisses desperately against the dark hair. "Please don't leave me." He sobbed between words, body jerking with each heavy breath. "I need you."

Natsu squeezed Gray's hands tightly and the ice mage nodded to him. His side was on fire, aching and oozing blood even through the makeshift bandage Natsu had tied around him, but he knew Sting needed Natsu more than he did right now.

"Sting, come here." Natsu's voice was firm but kind, and he grabbed Sting's hands away from Rogue's body. Sting fought him fiercely, but his grief allowed Natsu to overpower him, pulling the holy dragon slayer into his chest. Sting buried his face in Natsu's neck and let out a long, heart-wrenching wail.

"WHY?" He sobbed, grasping at the fabric of Natsu's shirt. "Why him?"

"I don't know," Natsu answered honestly, rubbing circles on Sting's back. "I'm sorry, Sting. I'm so sorry." Natsu pressed his face into Sting's hair, trying to hide his own tears.

"I love him," Sting wept, voice breaking. Natsu's heart felt like it was going to shatter. He turned to Gray and pulled him closer, kissing the ice mage's head.

"I know," Natsu whispered, holding Sting tightly and pressing a hand to the back of his neck. "I know you do."

"He's my whole world," Sting gasped, and Gray wrapped an arm around the sobbing boy, pressing his forehead to the back of Sting's head. He felt Sting lean into him in response, then turn and reach out his hand for Rogue's again. "I need him."

"We're here for you," Natsu said softly, grasping Sting's hand and squeezing it tightly. He saw Wendy, crying softly nearby, and motioned for her to come over. She collapsed next to him, then pressed her hand to Sting's back. "We're here for you."

"We're all here." Erza's voice was soft as she dropped to the ground beside them, followed by Jellal. Lucy wasn't far behind, and then Gajeel was there with Levy, and Laxus with Freed, and the Raijinshu, the Trimen, Lyon and Juvia, and the crowd kept getting bigger and bigger. Sting remained huddled in Natsu's arms, one hand holding Rogue's, the other clasped in Gray's. Natsu rocked him back and forth gently, whispering in his ear and rubbing his back softly. Sting's sobs echoed through the group, and Natsu could see the grief moving through everyone.

Laxus had his face pressed into Freed's hair, tears trailing down his face and onto the unconscious man. Master Makarov was weeping openly, hands folded in front of him. Nastu was surprised to see tears in Gajeel's eyes as he looked almost reverently at Rogue's body. The whole guild grieved together, holding each other and comforting each other as Sting continued to sob.

* * *

 _Rogue_ …

"Sting?" Rogue mumbled, feeling around him for the familiar shape of his friend. He was lying on something hard and warm. The last thing he remembered was Motherglare speeding toward the ground, and then…pain. But there was no pain now. He felt warm, and comfortable, and…safe.

 _Rogue…wake up._

The voice was familiar, but it wasn't Sting. It was much deeper, but at the same time soft and gentle. It brought back memories of his childhood, of learning shadow magic with –

"Skiadrum?" His eyes flew open again and he raised his hand to guard them against the light. After a moment, he could begin to see a blurry shadow wrapped around him.

 _I'm here, my child._

The enormous, dark-scaled form of Rogue's foster father began to come into focus in front of him, and Rogue's chest clenched tightly. The shadow dragon was curled around him, just as he had done when Rogue was a child and had been afraid of the dark.

"What…what happened?" He sat up slowly, running a hand over Skiadrum's scales reverently. "Where am I? Where's Sting?"

 _My child could not follow you here._

Another familiar voice boomed around him, and Rogue looked up in amazement to see another dragon, pure white in color with a majestic beard and yellow eyes.

"Weisslogia?" He asked, and the dragon nodded. As Rogue's vision continued to clear, he saw that they were, in fact, surrounded by dragons of various colours and shapes. An enormous, red-skinned dragon towered over the others, and Rogue thought it must be Igneel. "What – where – what –"

 _We don't have much time,_ Skiadrum said, and Rogue could feel the vibrations of his voice through his body. _You…are no longer._ Rogue frowned.

 _What he means to say is that you are dying,_ Weisslogia added, and Rogue gaped at him. _Or rather, you are already dead._

"Then, Sting…" Rogue looked around frantically, and Weisslogia shook his enormous head.

 _Sting survived_. A cloud of fog floated in front of Rogue and then cleared as Skiadum blew on it, gently. It coalesced into a small, clear pool of liquid that resolved into a scene of chaos. Rogue could see Sting, tears streaking his cheeks, slumped on his knees beside Rogue's body. Seeing himself as a corpse felt like someone had punched him.

"Is this…when did…"

 _We wanted you to be able to say goodbye,_ Skiadrum said gently. Rogue attempted to stand, but fell to his knees and stared at the view of Sting.

"I'm not saying goodbye, I – I'm not ready, I'm not…"

 _No-one is ever ready for death_ , Weisslogia responded impassively. Rogue ignored him, watching the pool as Natsu came to comfort Sting, then Gray, then the rest of the guild. His heart ached, and he reached out as if to touch his friend through the image, but when his fingers brushed the liquid it dissolved and re-formed.

"Did we beat him? Me, I mean?" Rogue's voice was small, but Skiadrum nodded, eliciting a sigh of relief from the dark-haired boy.

 _You have died a hero instead of living as a villain._ Weisslogia sounded righteous, but Rogue choked out a sob and buried his face in his hands. _You kept your loved ones safe, and you made your father proud._ Skiadrum rumbled beneath Rogue, providing solid comfort as he wept.

* * *

"Let me through." An authoritative voice broke through the crowd and Natsu looked up in surprise to see Ultear making her way towards them. Natsu growled deep in his throat and bared his teeth at her.

"What are you doing here?" He snarled, gripping Sting tightly against him. "You wanted this to happen."

Sting didn't react, but Ultear bowed her head, looking distraught.

"I never wanted this," she whispered, kneeling down beside Rogue's body. "I never wanted this. I just wanted to fix things." Natsu rumbled protectively as she reached out and touched Rogue's chest, and Sting turned toward her, lip curled in a fierce snarl. "Please let me help," Ultear begged. "I might be able to save him."

Sting froze for a moment, then let out a shaky breath.

"You can't fix it," he whispered, voice hoarse from shouting. "He's g-gone." Sting's voice broke on the last word and Gray squeezed his hand tightly.

"But you were connected," Ultear argued. "The spell, the dragon's soul. I might be able to turn his timeline back long enough to… change the outcome." Sting's eyes widened, and Ultear raised her hands. "It wouldn't turn back actual time, just his body's reaction to what happened. But the damage he sustained would have to go…somewhere else." She dropped her gaze.

"To me, you mean," Sting whispered, moving out of Natsu's arms and kneeling next to Rogue. "I could take it instead."

"But then you would be dead," Natsu argued hotly, "and Rogue would be grieving, and nothing would be different." He glared suspiciously at Ultear.

"Not if I can…share it," she said, running her hands over Rogue's body. A faint aura of magic shimmered underneath her hands. She shuddered, drawing her hands back. "There's…so much. It might kill you both." Sting hung his head and moaned, grasping at Rogue's arms.

"I was connected too." Gajeel dropped to his knees beside Ultear, reaching out a hand and placing it on Rogue's shoulder. "Splitting it by three would help, right?" Sting looked up at the iron dragon slayer in amazement.

"You would do that?" He whispered.

"He's family," Gajeel replied gruffly, looking up at Ultear. "So would it work, or not?" She hesitated before responding.

"It should," she conceded. "I don't see why it wou-"

"Four is better than three." Laxus pushed his way through the crowd, standing next to Gajeel.

"And five is better than four," Wendy said softly, joining the group.

"Count me in," Natsu added, squeezing Gray's hand and giving him an apologetic look. "I have to," he whispered. Gray nodded and leaned into Natsu, kissing him gently.

"I know," he replied. Lucy put an arm around Gray's shoulders and nodded to Natsu.

"I'll make sure he's okay," she whispered, wiping tears from her eyes.

Sting's eyes filled with tears of a different kind as he looked up at the other dragon slayers standing around him. Their faces were all set with determination, and he had that feeling in his chest again – a feeling of belonging, of love, of _family_.

"If we were all connected then, we should all be connected now." Everyone turned to face Cobra with stunned expressions on their faces, and he sighed. "I know what it's like to lose your whole world."

"We have to hurry," Ultear said, looking at Sting. "We don't have much time." He nodded hesitantly, moving so that Rogue's head was in his lap. "You all have to be touching." The dragon slayers moved around Rogue so that they each had a hand on him, and Sting let out a sob.

"Thank you," he whispered, and Natsu gripped his hand tightly.

"Thank us when it works," Gajeel replied. Sting took a shaky breath and nodded.

Ultear stood, raising her hands above Rogue's body and letting her magic flow downward. It twisted around the dragon slayers, running over their hands and into Rogue's damaged body. Wendy looked up at Ultear.

"Is this going to hurt?" She asked shakily. Ultear looked at them sadly.

"Yes."

* * *

Rogue felt a sharp pain on the right side of his head, and he clapped a hand to his ear, wincing.

 _What are they doing?_ Skiadrum looked into the vision-pool and then let out a rumble that might have been a laugh. _You humans are tenacious._ Rogue groaned as the pain in his head got worse, radiating down his neck and into his arm.

"What…is happening?" He ground out through clenched teeth.

 _They aren't ready either,_ Weisslogia responded. _They are attempting to bring you back_. Rogue inhaled sharply, looking back at the vision-pool to see all of the dragon slayers sitting around his body, hands touching, with purplish magic flowing through them. Another jolt of pain shot up his left leg and he cried out, grasping it with both hands to find nothing wrong.

 _It will be painful,_ remarked Skiadrum. _If they bring you back, you will never be who you were. The damage was too great_. Rogue groaned in pain and frustration. _You can choose to stay here, to move beyond without the pain._

The ache in his head worsened, and Rogue cried out, grabbing his head with both hands and trying to breathe deeply.

"Will…will it work?" He gasped, feeling tears running down his cheeks.

 _The future is uncertain, my son_ , Skiadrum replied, lowering his head and pressing it gently to Rogue's side.

 _But they are strong_ , another voice added, and Rogue glanced up to see Igneel speaking. His voice crackled and popped with each word, and the sound hurt Rogue's ears. _And so are you. So what will your decision be?_

Rogue gasped in pain and felt his vision begin to blur, but he could still see the pool, and Sting's tear-stained face, and the others sitting around him while the magic twisted and turned.

 _Will you stay here, my son?_ Skiadrum asked gently. _Here where there is no pain? Or will you return to them and accept an uncertain fate?_ Rogue dug his fingernails into his palms, trying to keep the ringing in his ears at bay.

"I will never leave him," Rogue whispered, and he missed the fond look that passed between Skiadrum and Weisslogia. "He's my home." Then he closed his eyes and gave himself over to the pain.

* * *

Sting had never felt pain like this. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire, and the magical energy that had started off flowing gently around him now bit into his skin. Wendy was sobbing beside him, and even Gajeel and Laxus were gasping at the sensation. Natsu's hand was clutching his so tightly that he could barely feel his fingers, and still the magic flowed.

Sting forced his eyes open and watched the lines of purple and silver running from Rogue's body up into his arms. A strange wind was whipping around them, blowing strands of Rogue's hair away from his face.

 _Sting_ , a deep voice whispered. _You have done well._ Sting whipped his head around, looking for the source of the voice, but nobody appeared to be speaking. _I am so proud of you._ The deepness of the voice, the intonation, it sounded like…but it couldn't be. _He has chosen to come home to you. You must take care of him._

"I will!" Sting shouted, still looking around in confusion, but knowing, somehow, that the voice belonged to Weisslogia. "I will, I promise." The pain crescendoed in his body and he threw his head back, letting out a scream, and then slumped forward as it suddenly ended.

The group of dragon slayers all collapsed, breathing heavily and staring at each other. Sting's hands were shaking so badly he could barely control them, but he managed to still them on Rogue's shoulders.

"Did it work?" He whispered, staring up at Ultear, who looked dazed. Wendy grasped Sting's knee with one hand, then reached over and ran her hand over Rogue's neck, feeling for a pulse. The entire square was silent for a moment, until she breathed a short, sharp sigh of relief.

"He's alive," she whispered, and promptly fainted. Gajeel caught her before she hit the ground, and someone else came running forward to help. Natsu managed to pull off a smile of relief before he collapsed as well.

"Rogue," Sting sobbed, leaning forward and pressing his cheek to his friend's. Then the ground began to spin, and everything went dark.

* * *

 _A/N: So this is the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed, but the story doesn't end here. I'll be posting a new story in a few days, titled "Aftermath" that will take place between this and the Tartaros arc. Please let me know what you thought, and what you'd like to see in the next story!_


	19. udpate - rewrite

This is just a note that I have started rewriting this series, since it was the first work I did for this fandom and I felt it could definitely be improved! I'm leaving up this version because I still enjoy it, but please check out the new story if you enjoyed this one - it's called "be my sanctuary".

Thanks! :)


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